Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a civil rights lawsuit against the NFL and three teams - the Dolphins, New York Giants and Denver Broncos - alleging that they engaged in discriminatory hiring practices, most recently pertaining to his candidacy for the Giants' head coaching position. The complaint said the Giants decided to hire another candidate, Brian Daboll, before even interviewing Flores; accuses Broncos executives of conducting an interview disheveled and hungover; and alleges that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross tried to pay Flores to lose games in an effort to obtain a better draft position. (Sportico)
The Washington Football Team plans to announce its new permanent brand identity today, though it appears all but certain that the team will be known as the Washington Commanders. The most telling clue came last night when the local NBC station's news chopper captured images of Commanders signage inside FedEx Field, as well as a view of the team's in-stadium store displaying Commanders merchandise. (NBC 4 Washington)
Negotiations between MLB and the MLB Players Association yesterday afternoon didn't lead to any significant progress, according to sources, and players and executives now expect that spring training for the 2022 season will be delayed. The union's latest proposal reportedly included several concessions, including a drop in its bonus-pool request for pre-arbitration players from $105 million to $100 million and a reduction of the number of players who would be awarded an additional year of service time based on award voting and performance. (ESPN)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady announced his retirement via social media, capping a 22-year NFL career with the Buccaneers and New England Patriots, during which he won seven Super Bowl championships. (Yahoo Sports) Brady's announcement came three days after ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington reported that the quarterback had made his decision, a scoop the network stood by despite insistence from Brady's camp that he was still deliberating his future. (New York Post)
BEIJING OLYMPICS
Olympic advisers at ease with COVID rate, see cases falling Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press
A total of 32 new cases — 15 in tests of people arriving at the airport and 17 within the Olympic bubbles — were reported by the Beijing organizing committee on Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremony.
Inside Beijing's Olympic Bubble: Robots, Swabs and a Big Gamble Alan Blinder, The New York Times
Games organizers said they had conducted more than 500,000 tests since Jan. 23 and uncovered at least 232 virus cases, most of them as people arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport. Eleven people have been hospitalized, the authorities said.
U.S. Olympic Business Gathers in Utah With Beijing Bleachers Empty Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico
Team USA sponsors, VIPs and donors are all converging over the next few weeks in Park City, Utah, part of a concentrated plan to replace much of the networking, advertising and hospitality typically on hand at the Games themselves.
MEDIA
Rams-49ers Game Scores 50 Million Viewers, Most-Watched NFC Championship in 8 Years Jennifer Maas, Variety
The Los Angeles Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 on Sunday to clinch the NFC Championship in a Fox primetime broadcast that drew more than 50 million viewers, making it the most-watched NFC Championship since 2014. The AFC Championship averaged 47.851 million viewers on CBS.
Amazon's Prime Video's Super Bowl Commercial Will Promote Thursday Night Football Jeanine Poggi, Ad Age
Amazon's Prime Video is returning to the Super Bowl with at least one spot that will promote "Thursday Night Football," which moves to the streamer from Fox this year. Prime Video worked with Wieden+Kennedy on the spot and tapped real fans to be part of the commercial.
Telemundo's Super Bowl Spot Drops the Mic Ahead of the 2022 World Cup Mollie Cahillane, Adweek
Telemundo is already making history as the first Spanish-language network to broadcast the Super Bowl, but the network isn't going to miss the chance to promote its other Big Game this year. The network's coverage of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 kicks off this fall, and Telemundo will merge the worlds of football in a new spot featuring legendary Spanish-language commentator Andrés Cantor.
Gillette Set to Return to Super Bowl For First Time in 16 Years Brian Steinberg, Variety
The Procter & Gamble men's-grooming giant plans to use NBC's coming broadcast of Super Bowl LVI on February 13 to put the spotlight on its new GilletteLabs razor that comes with an exfoliating bar to remove dirt and debris from the skin. The new ad and won't play up the usual elements of Super Bowl advertising — no celebrities or cute animals or babies.
Women's Sports Network seeks to spotlight female athletes Meg James, Los Angeles Times
L.A.-based Fast Studios plans to launch the Women's Sports Network, a 24-hour television channel devoted to covering female athletes on and off the field. The Women's Sports Network is partnering with the LPGA., U.S. Ski and Snowboard and World Surf League, which have agreed to provide content.
NFL
Broncos up for sale: Team expected to command record-setting price for U.S. sports franchise Ryan O'Halloran, The Denver Post
A decision that became inevitable more than two years ago amidst sibling strife in the Bowlen family became reality Tuesday when the Broncos announced the team is up for sale. The Broncos are expected to easily break the current record sale price of $2.35 billion for a U.S. professional sports team.
Tom Glick out as head of Panthers, Charlotte FC parent Tepper Sports Erik Spanberg, Charlotte Business Journal
Nick Kelly, president of Tepper Sports' MLS expansion team, Charlotte FC, will replace Glick as the top executive at Tepper Sports & Entertainment. Kristi Coleman, who was the Panthers' chief financial officer, will become the NFL team's president.
Corporate interest in Super Bowl ebbing Terry Lefton, Sports Business Journal
With many companies still not back in their offices and still under corporate travel restrictions, corporate demand and appetite for large scale corporate entertainment is ebbing — at least by Super Bowl standards.
NFL awards $1 million for 2 studies on cannabinoids effects Rob Maaddi, The Associated Press
The NFL is awarding $1 million in research funding to two teams of medical researchers to study the effects of cannabinoids on pain management and neuroprotection from concussion in elite football players. Medical teams from the University of California San Diego and University of Regina in Canada were selected from 106 proposals.
Football I simulated Tennessee at Georgia in College Football 25
