Grizzlies Owner Michael Heisley has "emerged as one of the remaining bidders for the Dodgers," according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. TIMES. A source said that if Heisley were to buy the Dodgers, Warriors Exec BOD member Jerry West "probably would join the team in some capacity." Heisley leads one of "11 bids that survived the initial cut in the Dodgers' ownership derby." West said of Heisley, "In Memphis, he has put his money where his mouth is. He has spent the money. In baseball, if you're willing to pay, you can get people to come." Sources said that Heisley previously has "explored bids" for the Cubs and Vikings. He has "long said he would be willing to sell the Grizzlies to owners based in Memphis" (L.A. TIMES, 2/9). However, in Memphis, Ronald Tillery cited a source as saying that Heisley's attempt to own an MLB team "will not impact his Grizzlies ownership or commitment to develop a championship team in Memphis" (COMMERCIALAPPEAL.com, 2/8).

Jay-Z's "influence, particularly when it comes to style and branding, far outweighs his financial stake" in the Nets, according to Scott Cacciola of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Nets and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark said, "I don't tell Jay-Z to do anything. I mean that. He tells me what to do. Listen, when it comes to our engagement, let's just say he's the CEO." The Nets are "celebrating the role that he's played in everything from revamping the logo ('He's refreshed it,' Yormark said) to designing new uniforms ('His fingerprints are all over it') to coming up with a new color scheme ('A bold redirection'), all of which the team plans to unveil this spring." In addition, the Nets are set to begin marketing "11 luxury suites that will be known as 'The Vault at Barclays Center,' a small, high-end space on the event level of the arena." Cacciola: "Jay-Z chose the forks -- in addition to offering his input on the Champagne ($300 bottles of Armand de Brignac), the layout (asymmetrical) and much of the décor (lots of black and shimmering metallics)." Ponturo Management Group CEO Tony Ponturo said that Jay-Z "has the sort of cachet as a cultural icon that makes him uniquely marketable ... particularly for a franchise that's new to the neighborhood." Ponturo added, "If you have someone who's a bit of a taste maker as part of your ownership, I think you find a way to bring that element into your overall process." Yormark said that Jay-Z "approached him with a rough concept several years ago, shortly after he acquired a piece of the team." Yormark said that Jay-Z "used the word 'premium,'" and told him that he "wanted the new arena to feature a small area where the 'who's who of New York' would congregate." Not "just luxury suites, Jay-Z told him, which were essential to any new stadium construction." No, he "wanted something more than that." Cacciola: "The question is: By creating and marking such an exclusive space within the arena, does the team run the risk of alienating ... the 99%?" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/9).

After "losing money and fans" in '11, the MLS Crew hope an economic-impact study they commissioned will prove their "worth to the community -- and garner an infusion of cash for stadium- and jersey-naming rights," according to Steve Wartenberg of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. The study by Minneapolis-based Conventions, Sports & Leisure indicated that the Crew's games and other events at Crew Stadium have "generated $384 million in direct spending since the team began playing" in '96. Team President & GM Mark McCullers said, "We thought the study would be helpful in making our case for local businesses to support the Crew." Despite making the playoffs four consecutive years, Crew attendance "dropped in 2011 to 12,185 per game, the second-lowest in the league behind only San Jose, which averaged 11,858." McCullers said that the team "lost money, but he declined to say how much, only that it was 'in the millions.'" He said that to break even this year, the club "needs to find local companies willing to pay for naming rights to the stadium and the team’s jerseys, and sell at least 10,000 season tickets." McCullers "would not disclose current season-ticket sales, but he said they have already topped last year’s total of about 5,000." Wartenberg notes the Crew have "not had a jersey sponsor since Glidden’s contract ended after the 2010 season" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 2/9).

On Long Island, Anthony DeStefano reports Mets Owners the Wilpon family is taking its legal "battle with the trustee in the Bernard Madoff case to the U.S. Supreme Court -- at least they are trying to." In a "little noticed filing last Friday, Sterling Equities Associates, the umbrella organization of the Wilpon family and other team owners, asked the nation's high court to review a major ruling by a federal appeals court over which Madoff investors can recover some of their losses from a special fund." Legal experts said that it will likely take about four or five months for the Supreme Court to "decide if it will take the case." The case "likely wouldn't be argued until early 2013." In the meantime, trustee Irving Picard's lawsuit "against the Wilpons and Sterling for well over $300 million ... is scheduled to go to trial on March 19 in federal court in Manhattan" (NEWSDAY, 2/9).

UNCERTAINTY IN OAKLAND: A's Owner Lew Wolff during an appearance at the Rotary Club of San Jose yesterday said that the "uncertainty" about his team's possible move to San Jose "is harming the franchise more than anything else." The AP's Antonio Gonzalez noted Wolff is "hopeful that a resolution from baseball is coming soon." Wolff: "I’m not going to continue this much longer. What we want is an answer. We want a yes, you can relocate and share the district, share the territory. Or you can’t. But not having any answer is very difficult." He added that "buying out the Giants' territorial rights to San Jose 'has not been discussed with us.'" He also confirmed that the team "would be renamed the San Jose A's if it relocated" (AP, 2/8).

STERN WITH SPIRIT: NBA Commissioner David Stern said that he "remains confident in the Atlanta Spirit following the group's attempt to sell the Hawks and the operating rights to Philips Arena that fell through last year." He said, "They’ve committed to pay the luxury tax, which not many teams in our league do these days. They are committed to hire the personnel to demonstrate to the fans that this is a franchise worth supporting. I think they are committed to Atlanta, and I’m committed to them." He added the team "could be sold if they were interested in selling it. But without naming names, they are well down my list of current worries" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/9).

INNOVATION NATION: The Suns, Verizon and Samsung yesterday announced that the team has become the first NBA franchise to integrate wireless tablet technology into their business and basketball operations. Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, powered by Verizon's 4G LTE network, will become the official tablet for the Suns, who are incorporating the device into business development opportunities, client and season ticket-holder presentations, and in-game promotional programs. The Suns are also integrating the Tab into various elements of their TV and radio broadcasts as a way to interact with fans through social media and other in-game promotions (Suns).