Amy Calistri

Amy Calistri

Business and Investment Correspondent  |  AUSTIN, TX

Muck Rack profile

Amy Calistri got her high school letter in golf and hasn't golfed since. She has a collegiate letter in wrestling, but never wrestled. She was arguably the worst catcher in IBM's coed softball league. But she is a hardcore sports fan, having spent her formative years yelling from Boston Garden's second balcony and Fenway's cheap seats. She loves when she can combine her love of sports with her business acumen. Amy is published in the areas of economics, investing, statistics, poker, and the sports and gaming industries.

Fans are still stunned that Aaron Gordon vaulted over Tacko Fall and still didn't win the NBA's Dunk Contest. (Image: Jonathan Daniel/Getty)

NBA All-Star Ratings Improve with Tacko-Sized Dunks, New Format

The NBA’s All-Star weekend ratings improved across the board, fueled by an entertaining — if controversial — Slam Dunk Contest, and a dramatic new game format. The ratings turnaround was a “must win” for the league, which is struggling with sagging revenues and ratings. Saturday night’s Slam Dunk Contest voting […]

Without legalized sports betting in Massachusetts, the Celtics settled for a daily fanstasy sports deal with DraftKings. (Imate: Chris Elise?Getty)

NBA Franchises and XFL Forge New Sports Betting Partnerships

Three NBA franchises and the XFL all announced new partnerships last week, continuing the hookup frenzy between major sports leagues and the sports betting industry. The Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics all signed deals with DraftKings, while the XFL and The Action Network inked a content deal. Once […]

The third-ranked Oregon Ducks defeat No.7 ranked UCLA, providing Sabrina Ionescu with another NCAA milestone (Image: Rick Bowmer/AP)

Sabrina Ionescu Tops 1,000 Assists — Up Next, 1,000 Rebounds for Record

Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu had eight assists in Friday’s game, giving her a total of 1,005 NCAA career assists. With that performance, Ionescu has become only the second player in Division I history (men’s or women’s) to record 2,000 points and 1,000 assists. Now Ionescu is only 27 rebounds away from […]

Kyle Larson won the July 2018 Daytona Xfinity Series race. His winning car was seized and auctioned as a result of DC Solar's bankruptcy. (Image: Getty)

How NASCAR Got Scammed by DC Solar’s Ponzi Scheme

A 2018 FBI raid uncovered a solar-energy Ponzi scheme that would ultimately defraud investors for nearly $1 billion, and red flag an entire NASCAR Xfinity team. As race fans gear up for Sunday’s Daytona 500, it’s hard to believe that just one year ago, DC Solar’s collapse was wreaking havoc […]

Maine's Senate overturned Governor Mills' veto by one vote to send it to the House. It now appears Senator Lisa Keim voted in error,  (Image: Maine.gove)

Sports Betting Fails in Maine, Almost Passed by Mistake

The Maine House of Representatives failed to override a veto of its sports betting bill today, but a possible error, made last week by Maine’s Senate, nearly legalized sports betting by mistake. Although a majority of Maine’s House voted to overturn the Governor’s sports betting bill veto by 87-57, it […]

Marquette's Markus Howard just needs 39 more regular season points in Big East Conference play (Image: Dylan Buell/Getty)

After 25 Years, Howard Set to Break Moten’s Big East Scoring Record

Marquette’s Markus Howard is 39 points away from breaking a record that Lawrence Moten has held for 25 years. Moten scored 1,405 points in Big East Conference regular season play while at Syracuse. When Marquette meets Butler today, Howard will get one step closer to claiming that record. Howard is […]

Denny Hamlin takes the checkered flag at Penn National's sposored race, the 2019 Hollywood Casino 400. (Image: Getty)

Penn National Gaming and NASCAR Hook Up in Multi-Year Partnership

Penn National Gaming and NASCAR announced a multi-year partnership deal on Friday. This is the second sports-related deal for the regional casino operator this year, after taking a stake in Barstool Sports just last month. Penn National Gaming has been a sponsor of a NASCAR Cup Series race, the Hollywood […]

Maine's House of Representatives set to override Governor Mills' sports-betting bill veto. (Image: Univ. of Maine)

Maine Senate Votes to Override Sports Betting Veto

On Thursday, Maine senators voted 20-10, reaching the required two-thirds threshold, to override Governor Janet Mills’ veto of a bill that would legalize sports betting. Maine’s House of Representatives could vote on the issue as early as Tuesday. The bill initially passed last June, however, Governor Mills, however, chose not […]

Bill Simmons developed The Ringer after ESPN killed off his first sports media company, Grantland. (Image:: David Paul Morris/Getty)

Spotify Buys The Ringer in Latest Sports Media Grab

Audio streaming company Spotify Technology announced on Wednesday that it agreed to buy the sports media outlet, The Ringer. And while much of the recent sports media acquisition frenzy is tied to the spread of legal sports betting, this latest deal may be motivated more by fit. The details of […]

Super Bowl 2020 saw a small increase in viewership. (Image: Getty)

Super Bowl Television Ratings Should Have Been Higher

This year’s Super Bowl television ratings were higher than last year’s, generating the first year-over-year increase in five years. Helped by increased sports betting, a close game, and a popular half-time show, the average number of viewers edged up 1.7 percent over last year. But given the favorable conditions, an […]

Super Bowl 2020 is on pace to break the record for average ticket price. (Data: SeatGeek)

Die-Hard Fans Driving Up Super Bowl Ticket Prices

It’s been a long time since the Kansas City Chiefs or the San Francisco 49ers played in a Super Bowl, and that’s driving up ticket prices. According to SeatGeek, the average ticket price for Super Bowl 2020 is up to $7,806, but could go even higher. Average Super Bowl Ticket […]

Democratic Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang is gaining momentum in the polls and with bookmakers. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty)

Heads-Up Betting Favors Andrew Yang Over Trump

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is still a long shot in the polls, but at least one bookmaker likes the tech exec’s odds to beat President Trump heads up. To some extent, Yang has become the Rodney Dangerfield of Democratic hopefuls because he gets little — if any — respect […]

Barstool Sports could find a new home with Penn National, a regional casino company looking to add to its sports media portfolio.

Barstool Sports Could be Acquired by Penn National

Barstool Sports is reportedly in talks to be acquired by the regional casino company, Penn National Gaming. As legal sports betting expands across the United States, sports media companies are becoming hot commodities. In November, The Big Lead reported that The Chernin Group was looking to sell its interest in […]

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert is "making a big bet on women" with new contract proposal. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty)

New WNBA Contract Could Triple Maximum Player Salary (VIDEO)

A proposed contract between the WNBA and its players’ union could boost the maximum player salary to more than $500,000 per season. The eight-year deal, which has yet to be ratified by either side, will give more to players, but will also ask them to do more. Cathy Engelbert was […]

Brigid Kosgei broke the women's marathon record wearing Nike Vaporfly running shoes.

Nike Vaporfly Running Shoes Could Get Banned From Competition

Nike’s Vaporfly running shoes risk getting banned from international competition because of the significant advantage they provide. Nike’s rivals, like Asics and Mizuno, are among those hoping for new regulations. Vaporfly running shoes (trainers) are a result of “Breaking2,” Nike’s mission to break the two-hour marathon barrier. The first retail […]

Kambi's share price plunged on news that DraftKings planned to acquire its rival SBTech.

Kambi Stock Plunges 30% on DraftKings Acquisition News

Shares of Kambi Group PLC lost 30 percent on Monday’s news that DraftKings planned to acquire SBTech. Investors fear the acquisition could threaten the current multi-state partnership between Kambi and DraftKings. Kambi Group’s stock is often volatile. For example, its share price rose steadily after the Supreme Court struck down […]

The new MLB umpire labor contract includes the possible use of an automated ball-strike call system. (Image: MLB)

MLB and Umpires Reach Deal to Develop Computer Strike-Zone System

Major League Baseball and the MLB Umpires Association reportedly reached an agreement on Saturday to develop and test a computer strike-zone detection system. The automated system, which should greatly improve call accuracy, could be used in MLB games sometime within the next five years. According to Associated Press sources, the […]

The bat with which  Babe Ruth hit his 500th home run fetched over $1 million at auction. (Image: SCP Auctions)

Babe Ruth’s 500th Home Run Bat Tops $1 Million at Auction

The bat Babe Ruth used to hit his 500th home run sold for $1,000,800 at auction on Saturday. The sale of George Herman Ruth’s legendary, 90-year-old stick of ash took place in California at SCP Auctions, and is just the latest dinger in a booming memorabilia market. Ruth gave the […]

Ted Turner, former owner of the Atlanta Braves, was censured by the other MLB owners for crafting the worst MLB pitching contract. (Image/ Steven R. Schaeffer/Getty)

After Record Week, a Review of MLB’s Ugliest Pitching Contracts

This week, the record for the highest MLB pitching contract was broken — twice. While high-dollar pitching contracts have fueled stunning careers, there have been some contracts that clubs would sooner forget. On Dec. 9, the Washington Nationals retained starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg with a $245 million contract. The seven-year […]