MLS Thursday named its year-end club and exec award winners, highlighted by Real Salt Lake President BILL MANNING receiving the Doug Hamilton Exec of the Year award. The club’s metrics in key business areas, including tickets, corporate sponsorships and local TV ratings, continue to grow under Manning’s direction (MLS).

NCAA VP & Senior Advisor to the President WALLY RENFRO “plans to retire after working for the association for 40 years.” NCAA President MARK EMMERT said that NCAA Exec VP & General Counsel DONALD REMY “will move into Renfro’s office to shore up the executive staff” (USA TODAY, 1/18).

GRIDIRON GANGS: The Browns named NFL Network analyst MICHAEL LOMBARDI VP/Player Personnel. Lombardi's most recent position as an NFL team exec was with the Raiders from '98-'07, and he also had a previous stint with the Browns as a player personnel exec from '87-96 (THE DAILY).....The Chargers promoted Exec VP/Football Operations & Assistant GM ED MCGUIRE to Exec VP/Football Administration & Player Finance and Dir of College Scouting JOHN SPANOS to Exec VP/Football Operations. McGuire, Spanos and new GM TOM TELESCO will report directly to President & Chair DEAN SPANOS (Chargers)

EXECS: Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group named BERNIE ASHE CEO. He “will head operations of the private group working with the city to redevelop Lansdowne Park.” Ashe was Senators Exec VP & COO from ’91-97 (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 1/17)….The Stars named former NHLer MIKE MODANO Exec Adviser & Alternate Governor. Modano will “work on initiatives related to the ownership group, team broadcasts and corporate partnership.” The club also named former NHLer MARK RECCHI Adviser to Hockey Operations (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 1/17)….Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway promoted JOHN BRECKLIN to Dir of Operations, TERRY GREETHAM to Dir of Facilities, PATRICK KENNY to Communications Manager, RANDY SIMPSON to Event Development Manager and KIM SNELL to Operations Supervisor (THE DAILY)….adidas named its former China COO ERICK HASKELL Managing Dir of India Operations. Haskell takes over from CLAUS HECKEROTT, “who led the restructuring efforts” for the company following fraud allegations against former execs. Heckerott will “move into a new position within the Adidas group later in 2013” (MONEYCONTROL.com, 1/18).

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Octagon has signed snowboarder JAMIE ANDERSON. The 22-year-old slopestyle competitor, who competed in her first X Games at the age of 16, is preparing for the debut of Olympic slopestyle competition at the '14 Sochi Games. She has won three X Games gold medals in the last seven years. AMEN TETER will represent her. Anderson, a South Lake Tahoe product, currently has deals with Billabong, Monster Energy and Sierra at Tahoe. Octagon's other action sports clients include snowboarders KELLY CLARK and HANNAH TETER and surfer ALANA BLANCHARD (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal).

KICK IT UP: The L.A. Film & Entertainment Soccer Tournament “will hold its first annual entertainment industry soccer event” at The Home Depot Center on March 24. The event “will feature a five-on-five soccer tournament featuring industry professionals, a youth soccer tournament, and the MIA HAMM & NOMAR GARCIAPARRA Celebrity Soccer Challenge, which is in its fourth year.” The event's proceeds “will benefit the Mia Hamm Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for families in need of a marrow or cord blood transplant, and Grassroot Soccer, which uses soccer to educate and empower communities to stop the spread of HIV” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 1/17).

BRACKETOLOGY: Over the next six weeks, fans will be able to vote for four different NCAA men’s basketball coaches -- “one in each region, NCAA bracket style” -- in the Infinity Coaches Charity Challenge. Winners in “each region gain a spot in the finals, where the victorious coach will receive $100,000 for his charity.” Infinity “will also donate $5,000 to each of the 48 participants’ charities, regardless of the vote” (ESPN.com, 1/16).

NAMES: Knicks F CARMELO ANTHONY has "taken a 10-percent stake in HauteTime.com, an off-shoot of the luxury publisher Haute Living, which is already putting out local editions of its luxury magazines" in N.Y., Miami, L.A. and S.F. Haute Time magazine will debut in April at the Art Basel show "with a circulation of 50,000." A "second print edition is planned for October (N.Y. POST, 1/18)....Four U.S. tennis court officlas sued the USTA in ’11, “accusing it of violating fair labor laws by denying them overtime for workdays that sometimes extended to 12 hours.” The suit is “being played out in depositions and pre-trial hearings before a Federal judge in Manhattan" (NYTIMES.com, 1/17).