MLS today will hold a press conference to discuss the '14 MLS All-Star Game in Portland, and the league "could confirm rumors" that Bundesliga club Bayern Munich will be the game's int'l opponent. Bayern Munich Chair Karl-Heinz Rummenigge earlier this week told the German press that his team "would face the MLS All-Stars." Neither MLS nor the Timbers have commented on the '14 opponent.

Expected to attend today's press conference at the adidas North America campus are MLS President Mark Abbott, Timbers Owner Merritt Paulson, adidas Senior VP David Baxter and AT&T Oregon President George Granger (Portland OREGONIAN, 12/11).

The MLS Dynamo today will formally announce that Houston will be home to the "ninth team and the first expansion club" in the NWSL. The new team will play at BBVA Compass Stadium and train at Houston Sports Park. The Dynamo front office "will operate the NWSL team, but the MLS and NWSL clubs will have different coaching and training staffs." BBVA Compass Stadium seats about 22,039 for Dynamo games, "but only about a third of the stadium's seating capacity will be in use for NWSL games" (CHRON.com, 12/11).

The NFL yesterday announced that longtime Exec VP/Football Operations Ray Anderson is "stepping down at the end of the season." Anderson said he had been discussing the situation with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for several weeks and "it was a mutual decision that we both agreed upon." Anderson "has been one of the league's highest-ranking officials and played a key role in overseeing the officiating department and handling on-field discipline decisions for the league" (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/11).

At the NHL BOG meetings this week in Pebble Beach, Calif., the Maple Leafs were the "only club that declined to approve" the league's C$5.2B media rights deal with Rogers Communications. Sources confirmed that the vote was 29-0 in favor of approving the 12-year agreement. The Leafs "shocked the meeting by abstaining from the vote." It is believed NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman persuaded MLSE Chair Larry Tanenbaum to "abstain, rather than vote against the deal and prevent a unanimous outcome." Bell, which was shut out of the rights, and Rogers each own 37.5% of MLSE (TORONTO STAR, 12/12).

The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission today is expected to vote to "seek landmark designation" for the Astrodome, where Harris County is carrying out $8M of work. Once the designation process begins, the county "would have to get the city to sign off on any modifications made to the exterior." But Houston Mayor Annise Parker called the designation effort "ill-advised" and said that she had "no plans to put the item before City Council." Historic designation "largely is symbolic as it would only put a 90-day hold on demolition" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/12).

Steiner Sports is leveraging its position as the Yankees’ exclusive memorabilia company by tying into the Broadway production of "Bronx Bombers," which opens Jan. 10 at N.Y.'s Circle in the Square Theater. Steiner is mounting a display of Yankees memorabilia in the theater lobby that will include seats and dirt from the old Yankee Stadium seats, Yankees jerseys and autographed plaques by players including Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio. A variety of items will be available for purchase. “Bronx Bombers” is the third work in a sports series for the stage conceived by producers Fran Kirmser and Tony Ponturo.

Members of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee defended former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s position on the committee, saying it is not necessary to populate the entire committee with former coaches and players. Rice had faced some backlash earlier this fall from people questioning the depth of her football knowledge. During a panel discussion at the '13 IMG Intercollegiate Athletics Forum, former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said Rice has a place on the committee, which he described as "a pretty good blend of people who have coached and are active in the game, people who are decision makers, people who obviously can understand the process."

"She is the daughter of a coach," he said. "She has been a provost in charge of athletics at Stanford. Obviously, she's a big football fan, and she certainly has been in heated battle. We certainly respect her intelligence."

The conference continues today and will include panel sessions on "College Sports Business Headlines of the Day," "The Benefits of Owning Your Own Media Network" and "Innovations that Add to the Game-Day Experience," as well as a presentation on "Fostering Community Engagement through College Sponsorships." Get more updates on our On The Ground blog, and follow the Twitter hashtag #sbjiaf.

EPL club Hull City has formally applied to England's FA to "change their playing name to Hull Tigers" next season. The move, opposed by many fans, has been prompted by team Owner Assem Allam, "who believes the new name would be more commercially successful" (PA, 12/11).

The use of instant replay "headlines a series of rule changes approved" by the WNBA BOG for the upcoming season. Instant replay will be used "during the last minutes of a game or at any point in any overtime period under certain circumstances" (HARTFORD COURANT, 12/12).

A UNLV panel of regents, casino representatives and public officials looking into a possible on-campus venue today is scheduled to hear from its consultant, Univ. of Michigan professor Mark Rosentraub, on “the array of new and planned on-campus stadiums” in the U.S. (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 12/12).

The Metro Sports Authority unanimously approved a resolution “signing off on bonding authority” for the Triple-A PCL Nashville Sounds ballpark deal. The vote officially “paves the way for the city to go to the bond markets and start selling the revenue bonds this week” (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 12/12).

“The way these catchers are getting speared, they don’t have a chance. I think it’s better to be proactive before we carry a guy off the field paralyzed and think, ‘We didn’t change this rule?’” – MLB Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who is in favor of banning home-plate collisions (N.Y. TIMES, 12/12).

“I know in my heart today as I sit here, Dale Earnhardt is smiling down. He would want to see this 3. He didn’t want to see it ever go away” – NASCAR team Owner Richard Childress, on next year fielding the No. 3 Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series for the first time since Earnhardt’s death at the ’01 Daytona 500 (USA TODAY, 12/12).

“Today, I haven’t recovered yet from playing Kansas City. It’s about the NFL, their logo, making money and what the fans want. You know, they don’t really care about us” – Broncos DT Terrance Knighton, on playing Thursday night games (DENVER POST, 12/12).

"You saw the way fans were fleeing FedEx Field the last home game so now you're messing with Dan Snyder's money. Yes, the tickets are sold, but if you're not making money off of parking and concessions, you're messing with your owner's money" – ESPN's J.A. Adande, on Redskins coach Mike Shanahan benching QB Robert Griffin III ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 12/11).

Synergy CEO Tim Crow: “Sochi 2014 apps proliferating, only one of them official. Watch that space.”

Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons: “Joe Bowen and the rest of the team broadcasters got turfed off the Leafs charter to St Louis tonight. The reason: HBO crew took their seats.”

SNY’s Adam Zagoria: “So you can be a 40-year-old former PED user and still command $20 million from the #Mets. What a country.”

Hartford Courant’s Jeff Jacobs: “Been a sports writer for 35 years and saw stuff last 3 days on UConn coach search that made me wonder what the hell happened to journalism.”

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com. 

The Mariners will officially introduce 2B Robinson Cano during a press conference in Seattle.

The sixth annual David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic will begin in the Dominican Republic and run through Sunday. The event supports the David Ortiz Children’s Fund.

Madison Square Garden’s sale of the Fuse music channel reportedly “hasn’t found any bidders at the asking price” of around $300M. Bids were due on Dec. 6, but “none met the bar,” according to a source (N.Y. POST, 12/12).

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Sports Term History.”

“After throwing a long, last-second touchdown in 1975, Roger Staubach said, ‘I closed my eyes and said’ this.”

Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Christmas Songs For 2013.” Singer Josh Groban appeared live on-stage to sing each Top Ten entry (“Late Show,” CBS, 12/11).

10) "UC Santa Cruz / UC Santa Cruz / Oh my cousin went there / This is the kind of holiday small talk / I can hardly bear.” (Sung to “Here Comes Santa Claus”)
9) “I skipped out on Christmas / With this simple scheme / Claimed I got an illness / From drinking out of streams.” (Sung to “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”)
8) “God rest ye Mary Steenburgen / And regards to your husband Ted Danson.” (Sung to “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”)
7) “No 'L', No 'L' / No 'L', No 'L' / My _aptop is use_ess as he_.” (Sung to “The First Noel.”)
6) “City sidewalks / Busy sidewalks / (Spoken) Get the hell out of my way!” (Sung to “Silver Bells.”)
5) “Chest bumps never made much sense to me.” (Sung to “Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire.”)
4) “That jolly fat man has quite a knack / For being beloved and adored / He carries a sack full of beer and crack / It's Toronto's mayor Rob Ford.” (Sung to “Jolly Old St. Nicholas.”)
3) “Whose child is this / I'll take one guess / I'm going to say Frank Sinatra.” (Sung to “Whose Child Is This?”)
2) “Up on the mousepad / Click click click / Didn't mean to tweet / A photo of my...self.” (Sung to “Up On The Rooftop.”)
1) “Illinois state's oldest burg / Measures fifty miles square / Birthplace of Dan Fogelberg / Penicillin was discovered there / Peorrrrrrrrrrrrria.” (Sung to “Angels We Have Heard On High.”)

“What is a Hail Mary?”