02 May 2023 , 15:26
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Another US celebrity has plans to venture into sports team ownership and is currently embroiled in a battle with Ryan Reynolds.
Iconic rapper and actor Snoop Dogg reportedly has plans to become a co-owner of NHL team Ottawa Senators, who are currently up for sale. The 51-year-old has confirmed he has joined Neko Sparks’ ownership group which is keen to acquire the franchise. However, they face stiff competition from a rival bid set to be led by the Deadpool star and co-owner of the recently-promoted Wrexham AFC, who expressed his interest in buying the Senators last November.
Co-led by real estate mogul Christopher Bratty, Reynolds is reportedly part of an mega $1billion bid for both the Senators and their home arena the Canadian Tire Centre. Snoop Dogg wrote on Instagram that he is excited to be in with a chance of owning the sports team, and he also has another objective in mind.
“Amazing what @neko_sparks is trying to do in Ottawa & I'm looking forward to being a part of that ownership team. I WANNA BRING HOCKEY TO OUR COMMUNITY,” he wrote. The Athletic were quoted a source saying that Snoop is "passionately involved" in the potential ownership of the hockey team, while the article described it as an "aggressive pursuit".
“He's coming up with ideas. And he's legitimately excited,” the source said regarding Snoop's involvement. “He wants this team.” Film producer Sparks responded to the news of his latest partnership with an excited message of his own on special media.
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“No one else I'd rather make history with than @SnoopDogg Let's gooooooo....,” he tweeted. The Sparks consortium is said to be one of the most diverse ever, with 12 or more investors being people of colour.
Ryan Reynolds is part of a consortium set to be battle Snoop Dogg for the Ottawa Senators (Getty Images)There is currently no mention of the BMF star’s stake in the Senators should his consortium submit a successful bid, but he is set to attend games throughout the 2023-24 hockey season and feature in the commentary booth. The ‘Drop it like it’s Hot’ rapper has been a fan of hockey for some time and featured as a commentator and playable character in the EA Sports NHL 20 video game.
Back in 2018, Snoop released a series of clips on the NHL’s YouTube channel explaining the rules of hockey for those who may be unaware of how it is played.
“One of the things we noticed when Snoop came to our All-Star game a couple of years ago in Los Angeles was not only is he Snoop and everybody loves him, but he really loves hockey,” NHL executive vice president Steve Mayer told Deadline. “He knows the players, he knows the game, and we started talking back then about how he feels like he can help promote the game.”