Forget robins, Easter baskets and little flowers. The first sign that spring is around the corner includes the roar of engines and the screech of tires at the foot of a screaming crowd in Florida. The Daytona 500 is Sunday, bringing with it some awe-inspiring numbers.

Despite concerns about Zika mosquitoes, it was a rapper named Pitbull who helped knock Visit Florida to its knees. Now, Governor Rick Scott is fighting to save the organization, as well as its business development counterpart, Enterprise Florida. And it’s a warning about transparency to CVBs and EDCs everywhere.

Super Bowl LI might have been the last time the NFL brings football’s biggest game to Texas, given the fact that 15 Lone Star State senators have pledged their support of a 'bathroom bill' similar to the one that has caused such economic loss in North Carolina.

The NBA Development League, or D-League, for short, isn't new, having entered the industry in 2001. But now, it's set for expansion, with three teams in new markets. This growth can mean new economic impact for areas not presently served by the NBA, and may fuel further sports investment.

An era without the Olympics? A time without the excitement, pride (and let’s face it, all-out hype) of those ancient Games? Say it ain’t so. But if one medalist is to be believed, the Olympics are "slowly dying" and will be extinct by 2040, unless dramatic reforms take place.

The IAAF’s announcement that it was ditching its long-standing bid process for competitive events was met with a reaction from the world of sports business akin to that of a track and field athlete suddenly confronted with a 100-foot-high hurdle: a dead stop and a slack-jawed stare.