{"id":269598,"date":"2025-01-27T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/english-ryan-kalil-and-blake-griffin-form-athlete-ownership-group-acquire-majority-stake-in-american-football-team-in-mexico-rebrand-as-osos-monterrey\/"},"modified":"2025-01-27T13:20:02","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T17:20:02","slug":"ryan-kalil-y-blake-griffin-forman-athlete-ownership-group-adquieren-una-participacion-mayoritaria-en-el-equipo-de-futbol-americano-de-mexico-y-se-renombran-como-osos-monterrey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/ryan-kalil-y-blake-griffin-forman-athlete-ownership-group-adquieren-una-participacion-mayoritaria-en-el-equipo-de-futbol-americano-de-mexico-y-se-renombran-como-osos-monterrey\/","title":{"rendered":"Ryan Kalil and Blake Griffin Form Athlete Ownership Group, Acquire Majority Stake in American Football Team in Mexico, Rebrand as Osos Monterrey"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><![CDATA[\n\/* Style Definitions *\/\nspan.prnews_span\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\na.prnews_a\n{\ncolor:blue;\n}\nli.prnews_li\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\np.prnews_p\n{\nfont-size:0.62em;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\nmargin:0in;\n}\n]]><\/style>\n<div class=\"xn-content\">\n<p><span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-location\">LOS ANGELES<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-chron\">Jan. 27, 2025<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE\/ &#8212; Former NFL All-Pro Ryan Kalil and NBA All-Star <span class=\"xn-person\">Blake Griffin<\/span> have acquired a controlling stake in an American football team based in <span class=\"xn-location\">Monterrey, Mexico<\/span>, which competes in the LFA (Liga de F\u00fatbol Americano). The duo, alongside an ownership group of current and former professional athletes, aims to elevate the team and league globally. Under their leadership, the team will forge new partnerships, engage deeply with the community, and focus on advancing player development. Partners in production company Mortal Media, Kalil and Griffin will produce a documentary capturing the team&#8217;s transformation and their unique journey as new owners.<\/p>\n<div id=\"prni_dvprnejpg9089left\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"width: 100%; text-align: left;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"prnejpg9089left\" title=\"Osos Monterrey Football team\" src=\"https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/2605943\/Osos_Monterrey_banner.jpg\" alt=\"Osos Monterrey Football team\" align=\"middle\"\/><\/div>\n<p>Among the notable names in the ownership group are NFL All-Pro running back Christian\u00a0McCaffrey, NFL All-Pro tight end <span class=\"xn-person\">George Kittle<\/span>, Minnesota Vikings quarterback <span class=\"xn-person\">Sam Darnold<\/span>, former Pro Bowl tight end and media personality <span class=\"xn-person\">Greg Olsen<\/span>, five-time All-Pro linebacker <span class=\"xn-person\">Luke Kuechly<\/span>, NFL Hall of Fame defensive end <span class=\"xn-person\">Julius Peppers<\/span>, Pro Bowl running back <span class=\"xn-person\">Jonathan Stewart<\/span>, and two-time NFL Coach of the Year Ron Rivera. Additionally, Dan &#8220;Big Cat&#8221; <span class=\"xn-person\">Katz and Eric Sollenberger<\/span>, better known as PFT Commenter from sports podcast <i>Pardon My Take<\/i>, have joined the venture. Additional high-profile investors from sports and entertainment are expected to be announced in the near future.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Football isn&#8217;t just a game\u2014for many of us, it&#8217;s defined who we are,&#8221; said Kalil. &#8220;This won&#8217;t be a passive investment; it&#8217;s an opportunity to help grow the game internationally alongside lifelong friends who bring unmatched experience and perspective from playing at the highest level of professional sports.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The investment reflects Kalil and Griffin&#8217;s confidence in <span class=\"xn-location\">Mexico&#8217;s<\/span> passionate American football fanbase, which includes 30 million NFL enthusiasts, making <span class=\"xn-location\">Mexico<\/span> one of the NFL&#8217;s most significant international markets. As the LFA continues to grow as <span class=\"xn-location\">Mexico&#8217;s<\/span> premier American football league, the acquisition of the <span class=\"xn-location\">Monterrey<\/span> team presents a unique opportunity to accelerate its expansion. Kalil and Griffin acquired the team from former owners Fabi\u00e1n Marcos and Jos\u00e9 <span class=\"xn-person\">Luis Domene<\/span>, who will remain minority partners and continue contributing to the franchise&#8217;s management.<\/p>\n<p>Said <span class=\"xn-person\">Alejandro Jaimes Trujillo<\/span>, LFA Commissioner: &#8220;Today marks the start of a new era for American Football in <span class=\"xn-location\">Mexico<\/span>. On behalf of everyone in the league, I am pleased to welcome <span class=\"xn-person\">Ryan Kalil<\/span>, <span class=\"xn-person\">Blake Griffin<\/span>, and their business group to the Liga de F\u00fatbol Americano Profesional de M\u00e9xico. Their arrival comes at a pivotal moment of growth for our league, and we are confident that their involvement will not only strengthen their team but also propel the entire professional football league in <span class=\"xn-location\">Mexico<\/span> forward.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The first major initiative under the new ownership is a complete rebrand, with the team, formerly <span class=\"xn-location\">Fundidores<\/span> (Smelters), adopting the new name &#8220;Osos&#8221; (Bears.)\u00a0&#8220;Osos was inspired by the black bears native to <span class=\"xn-location\">Monterrey<\/span> and the <span class=\"xn-location\">Sierra Madre<\/span> mountains,&#8221; Griffin explained. &#8220;The name is simple, memorable, and rooted in the city&#8217;s identity. \u00a0It stands for resilience, strength, and grit\u2014qualities that define <span class=\"xn-location\">Monterrey<\/span> and what we want this team to stand for.\u00a0This marks an exciting new era for the team, the league, and its fans.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Through their production company, Mortal Media, Kalil and Griffin are teaming up with award-winning filmmakers <span class=\"xn-person\">Jason Sterman<\/span> and <span class=\"xn-person\">Brian McGinn<\/span> of Supper Club\u2014known for acclaimed projects such as <i>Chef&#8217;s Table<\/i>, <i>13TH<\/i>, <i><span class=\"xn-person\">Olivia Rodrigo<\/span>: driving home 2 u<\/i>, and FX&#8217;s Emmy-winning <i>The Bear<\/i>\u2014to produce a documentary chronicling their journey. The project will follow their experiences as new team owners, exploring the challenges of managing a football club abroad while celebrating the unwavering passion of the fans, the resilience of the coaches, and the determination of the players competing in a league striving for growth and recognition despite modest resources.<\/p>\n<p><b>About <span class=\"xn-person\">Ryan Kalil<\/span><br \/><\/b><span class=\"xn-person\">Ryan Kalil<\/span>, a 13-year NFL veteran and former All-Pro, is of Lebanese and Mexican descent, with family roots in Sonoyta, <span class=\"xn-location\">Sonora, Mexico<\/span>. A three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl center, Kalil was selected 59th overall by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft after a standout career at <span class=\"xn-org\">USC<\/span>. During his college years, he captained two national championship teams, and later appeared on the NFL&#8217;s Top 100 Players list three times. After retiring from football, Kalil transitioned into a second career as a film and television producer, co-founding Mortal Media, a <span class=\"xn-location\">Los Angeles<\/span>-based production company, with his partner <span class=\"xn-person\">Blake Griffin<\/span>. Kalil is a committed supporter of New Story, a nonprofit actively building homes for families in need in <span class=\"xn-location\">Mexico<\/span>. Additionally, Kalil is a founding investor in Angel City FC of the NWSL, the most valuable women&#8217;s sports team in the world.<\/p>\n<p><b>About Blake Griffin\u00a0<br \/><\/b><span class=\"xn-person\">Blake Griffin<\/span> is a 14-year NBA veteran with six NBA All-Star appearances and the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year under his belt. The former Slam Dunk Champion has cultivated a reputation for his business acumen and investing prowess and appeared on the cover of the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30. Griffin has also become well known for his impressive comedic timing across various guest roles in film and television. He founded Mortal Media, a <span class=\"xn-location\">Los Angeles<\/span>-based film and television production company, in 2016 with his partner <span class=\"xn-person\">Ryan Kalil<\/span>. Amazon recently announced that Griffin will be joining Prime Video&#8217;s new NBA studio show beginning in 2025.<\/p>\n<p><b>About Mortal Media<br \/><\/b>Mortal Media is founded by former NBA All-Star <span class=\"xn-person\">Blake Griffin<\/span> and NFL All-Pro Ryan Kalil. Their scripted feature films and television projects aim to focus on the intersection of genre, comedy and sci-fi with an emphasis on high-concept narrative work, and unscripted projects across music, sports, and culture. The company currently has film and television projects in development with Netflix, Paramount, 20th Century Studios, FX, and Disney. Their recent work includes Apple TV+ sci-fi dramedy series &#8220;Hello Tomorrow!&#8221; and 20th Century Studios comedy feature &#8220;White Men Can&#8217;t Jump.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><b>About Osos Mon<\/b><b>terrey<\/b><br \/><u><a href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4348208-1&amp;h=1146225637&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fososlfa.com%2F&amp;a=Osos+Monterrey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Osos Monterrey<\/a><\/u>\u00a0(fka\u00a0Fundidores de <span class=\"xn-location\">Monterrey<\/span>,) was founded in 2017, and rebranded under new ownership in 2025. The team has become a powerhouse in the LFA, claiming their first championship in 2022. The team is led by Head Coach <span class=\"xn-person\">Jorge &#8220;Pel\u00f3<\/span>n&#8221; Valdez, a standout player in his own right, Valdez holds the collegiate all-time tackles record for the Aut\u00e9nticos Tigres UANL. He has shaped the team\u00a0into a dominant force in the league. The team\u00a0made headlines in 2017 when NFL legend Chad &#8220;OchoCinco&#8221; Johnson played his final professional game with the team, recording three catches and a touchdown. Known for their explosive offense, ranked #1 in the league for three consecutive years, the <span class=\"xn-location\">Monterrey<\/span> football team features stars like QB Shelton Eppler, WR Torin Justice, and TE Tommy Auger. The team was acquired and rebranded in 2025 by an athlete group led by former NFL All-Pro Ryan\u00a0Kalil and NBA All-Star <span class=\"xn-person\">Blake Griffin<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><b>Contact:<br \/><\/b><span class=\"xn-person\">Rebecca Knaack<\/span><br \/><u><a href=\"mailto:mortalmedia@metropublicrelations.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">mortalmedia@metropublicrelations.com<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n<p>Photo &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4348208-1&amp;h=3504052612&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fmma.prnewswire.com%2Fmedia%2F2605943%2FOsos_Monterrey_banner.jpg&amp;a=https%3A%2F%2Fmma.prnewswire.com%2Fmedia%2F2605943%2FOsos_Monterrey_banner.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/2605943\/Osos_Monterrey_banner.jpg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>SOURCE  Osos Monterrey<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"xn-content\">\n<p><span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-location\">LOS ANGELES<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-chron\">Jan. 27, 2025<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE\/ &#8212; Former NFL All-Pro Ryan Kalil and NBA All-Star <span class=\"xn-person\">Blake Griffin<\/span> have acquired a controlling stake in an American football team based in <span class=\"xn-location\">Monterrey, Mexico<\/span>, which competes in the LFA (Liga de F\u00fatbol Americano). The duo, alongside an ownership group of current and former professional athletes, aims to elevate&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":269599,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-269598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-deportes-y-recreacion"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269598"}],"version-history":[{"count":"1","href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":269600,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269598\/revisions\/269600"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/269599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}