Who would fall in love with a fake NFL player? Plenty of sensible people

The FBI has charged Daejon Love after he allegedly pretended to be a 49ers receiver. Although football isn’t as glamorous as it looks, it easy to see the attraction

Is romance dead? Yeah, probably. There have never been more options for finding a mate – dating apps, Instagram DM slides, hanging out next to a gas station at 2am – but it’s also never been harder. Meeting someone who is compatible, stable, and even remotely attractive is akin to putting a square peg in a round hole. Blindfolded. From a mile away. Underwater. So, I can’t blame anyone for falling for an elaborate hoax like the one allegedly perpetrated by Daejon Love. tr-sport.click

Love is now infamous around the world for allegedly posing as an NFL player in order to scam more than 20 women out of $1.3m. Now that Love and his alleged accomplice, Taylor Jamie Chen, have been charged by federal authorities, prosecutors are claiming they are a flight risk. They certainly seem like they have the money to flee the country. According to court documents, Love managed to fabricate an entire online persona as a San Francisco 49ers player – posting photos and videos in Niners gear, posing with expensive cars, and even performing football drills (badly) to bolster the alleged grift. Love allegedly used AI to trick search engine results to add credibility to his claims on football success with the 49ers. There’s even a video of Love running wide receiver routes on the beach. In a helmet. Do real NFL players carry their helmets in the car, just in case? You never know when you may risk a concussion while laying in the sand.

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One of college basketball’s cathedrals is getting a corporate makeover. Duke is slated to announce a four-year sponsorship deal with Edward Jones that will see the company’s logos added to the floor at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The agreement will also include Edward Jones being designated a "Champion Partner of Duke Athletics" and becoming the presenting sponsor of the Duke Champions Club. "What we have available and the changing economic realities of running a big-time [Division I] college sports program, we realized if we could find a great partner that fit us and who we are, then let's go ahead and create a partnership," Duke athletics director Nina King told me. Duke’s efforts to add branding to Cameron Indoor have largely played out over the last six months in conjunction with the school’s multimedia rights partner, Learfield, which sells corporate sponsorships on its behalf. King had been in constant communication with Learfield’s Duke-centric team, while conversations were also had with longtime Blue Devils basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, in order to receive his blessing on any corporate logos that would adorn the court that bears his name. Others involved in the process included Duke men’s basketball coach Jon Scheyer and women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson. "It’s balancing our needs with the history and tradition, evolving with the current landscape and figuring out what is right to do here," King said. "I'm just really excited by how this looks. It's not like, ‘Oh my goodness we turned into NASCAR.’" That Duke is leaning into modernization comes amid a push-pull for schools across the country as to how best to marry the past traditions of college athletics with the ongoing commercialization that’s required to remain competitive. Cameron marks new territory in this sense, and comes just two weeks after Michigan agreed to a similarly groundbreaking agreement with Coca-Cola, Meijer and a new agreement with Google Gemini to allow outside signage in The Big House for the first time. Corporate branding has also appeared at places like Notre Dame and Ohio State in the form of jersey patches — an asset that was made allowable by the NCAA in January. "It's really looking at the economics of how college has changed over the last couple years, and what the best way is to commercialize those venues," said Learfield President of Sports Properties Kim Damron. " Working with the athletics team in the most respectful manner that still really feels like we're representing their brand and maintaining the tradition — it’s a pretty comprehensive approach to it."

For USC football fans, showing up to support a blue-blood program seems to require a specific temperature. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum saw lower attendance numbers during USC's Week 0 win over San Jose State, raising questions about fan turnout and program engagement to start the season. Addressing the turnout, Joel Klatt acknowledged that while USC remains widely recognized as a blue-blood program, attendance for Los Angeles-based teams differs from other traditional college football powerhouses on Monday's edition of the Joel Klatt Show. "Is USC a blue blood? Absolutely. At most other blue bloods, does it matter who they play or win to fill the stadium? No. Does it matter for USC? Yeah, it sure does," Klatt said. "Over 90 is too hot. A low 56 is too cold. That's just what it is." Klatt explained that weather conditions in Los Angeles play a significant role in fan decisions, noting how high heat inside the stadium creates difficult viewing environments for local spectators. "Over 90 in the Coliseum with some humidity might as well be 130. People in Los Angeles are just not going to deal with that," Klatt said. "It rains here and it's like Armageddon on the freeways. It's not like other places. Why? Because 350 days a year it's perfect." Despite empty seats in the stands, Klatt emphasized that turnout for a Week 0 game against an unranked non-conference opponent does not reflect a lack of backing for the program. USC recently secured the top recruiting class in the country while making major financial investments in new football facilities. "I also don't believe that it's indicative of the support that this organization, this program has," Klatt said. "Remember, they just signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. They also just built a football building that took massive investment from a financial perspective. They, financially, are fine now." Klatt added that public interest in the Trojans remains consistently high across Southern California based on his interactions throughout the area. "The crowd was not indicative of what I'm experiencing when I'm just out in the community out here in Southern California, week zero over 90," Klatt said. "Do I think it's indicative of the support or the excitement around USC? No, I don't." Klatt pointed out the difference between Los Angeles fans and traditional college football fanbases across the country that fill stadiums regardless of environmental factors. "I'm not defending the L.A. sports fan. It's a fair weather sports fan. Period," Klatt said. "And I'm going to give you your flowers out there, all of you college football fans that show up regardless. Good for you, and continue to do so." USC hosts Fresno State at the Coliseum on Friday, Sept. 4.