Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel today is slated to "make public his decision on his football-playing future," and it is "widely expected" that he will forego his final two years of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft. Sources said that Manziel has chosen Houston-based Select Sports Group to be his contract agency and LRMR to handle marketing, "though it is unclear if he has signed with either firm." The deadline for underclassmen to declare is Jan. 15 (ESPN.com, 1/8).

FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke today said that the '22 World Cup in Qatar "will not be played in the summer months." Valcke in an interview with France Inter Radio said, "I think it will be played between November 15 and January 15 the latest. If you play between November 15 and, let's say, the end of December, it's the time when the weather is the most favorable." The "surprise announcement" comes more than three years after Qatar was awarded the event (REUTERS, 1/8).

FIFA issued a statement following the radio appearance, saying that Valcke was giving "’his view’ that the 2022 World Cup must take place in winter” (REUTERS, 1/8).

The Sabres are "expected to hire" Senators Assistant GM Tim Murray as the team's new GM. Murray would replace Darcy Regier, who was fired in November (SPORTSNET.ca, 1/7). While Murray is the "clear front-runner," as of last night, "no formal offer had been made to Murray and no contract negotiations have taken place as of yet." However, other finalists for the position "have been told they are no longer part of the mix" (TSN.ca, 1/7).

MLBAM will provide back-end infrastructure for Sony’s as-yet-unnamed cloud-based TV service. Sony intends to introduce later this year a multichannel digital video offering combining live TV, on-demand content and DVR functionality, delivered over an Internet connection instead of via cable or satellite. MLBAM already provides similar streaming video support for a large array of entities, including ESPN, Southwest Airlines and Glenn Beck, but the Sony pact represents its largest non-sports agreement to date.

MLBAM has worked extensively with Sony in the past, including licensing for the electronics giant’s "MLB: The Show" video game, making the MLB.TV out-of-market package available through PlayStation gaming consoles, and Sony’s ballpark animations serving as a core element of MLBAM’s GameDay gametracker.

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race organizers have signed a broadcast deal with the Sportsman Channel, giving the race its first national TV deal since '09. The coverage "won't be live." The network "and its affiliated websites and magazines will promote the race" prior to its March 1 start in Anchorage, Alaska. Coverage will begin March 25. Among the 12 hours of planned coverage are "spotlighting stories of the dogs, individual mushers, the competition, the Alaska wilderness and race history" (AP, 1/8).

FanVision has acquired TrackScan, a company that distributes radio scanners at NASCAR and IndyCar races. Financial terms of the deal were not available. The acquisition gives FanVision, which makes handheld video controllers for sporting events, control over distribution of its controllers at races. The company hopes that will allow it to provide better customer service for fans who rent its controllers. TrackScan, which was started in '93 in North Carolina, has a fleet of trailers that set up at NASCAR and IndyCar races. Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross owns FanVision.

Vikings fans have ordered an estimated 10,000-plus seats from the Metrodome through Minneapolis-area business Albrecht Signs, and yesterday was the last day to place orders. Albrecht Senior Project Manager Shane Boskovich said, "We were getting so many voice mails that we couldn't keep up with them, so we shut down monitoring the message box." Most fans "buy two or three seats, at $60 each, although some order a specific one for $80" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/8).

Sportscaster Marv Albert appeared on CBS’ “Late Show” last night, with host David Letterman saying, “It seems to me like every play in the NFL there is holding. Sometimes they don’t call it, sometimes they do call it.” Letterman then grabbed Albert’s suit lapels in various ways, asking if it was an example of holding. Albert: “It’s like the block-charge in basketball. It’s so subjective and yes, they can call it almost every play.” Letterman: “They should be either more definitive about the rule or just eliminate the rule altogether ... and eliminate all timeouts.” Albert: “All timeouts? That would be like eliminating breaks here.”

Letterman asked of the NFL, “How many players dress for a game on Sunday: 60, 55?” Albert: “Fifty three.” Letterman: “Some plays everybody comes in. All 53 come in. What would be wrong with that?” Albert: “In effect, you want mayhem.” Letterman: “Of course, isn’t that what Americans are all about?” (“Late Show,” CBS, 1/7).

The Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl has "lost its title sponsor, but the game will remain" in St. Petersburg. A search will begin "immediately for a new title sponsor" of the ESPN-owned bowl game (WTSP.com, 1/7).

Sources said that the Dodgers "have reached an agreement on a contract extension" with manager Don Mattingly and that the deal "covers the next three seasons" (ESPNLA.com, 1/7).

The LPGA and CME Group this morning announced that they have paired to create the Race to the CME Globe, a season-long points competition that will debut during the '14 LPGA season (LPGA).

The Legacy Tour, a senior circuit for female professional golfers, this week plans to formally announce “a November event at Seagate in Delray Beach.” The press conference will include former LPGA stars Beth Daniel and Jane Blalock (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 1/7).

MLB is running a full-page ad in this morning’s USA Today memorializing late Padres broadcaster Jerry Coleman, who died at the age of 90 over the weekend. The ad features images of Coleman as a baseball player, announcer and WWII aviator (THE DAILY).

“Was it perfect? No. And no system ever will be. But it worked far better than perhaps it was given credit for” – Former SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer, on the BCS (N.Y. TIMES, 1/8).

“These guys don’t get to play in an NFL season. They don’t get to go rehab all day. They got school. They got study halls. They got things to do” – FSU football coach Jimbo Fisher, who feels the health of student-athletes is getting lost in the cry for an expanded playoff system (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/8).

“If you’re going to relocate the franchise, the fact that I’m here … provides some comfort” – Louisville architect and Orlando City SC investor Wayne Estopinal, on possibly bringing a USL Pro team to Louisville once Orlando City joins MLS in ’15 (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 1/8).

“Our experience with the Olympics has been a mixed bag – it’s not our tournament, we’re not in control of it, it’s at a time of the year that doesn’t work in our regular-season schedule. On the positive side, we recognize we're on a world-wide stage” – NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, on NHL players taking part in the Olympics (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/8).

There was a similarity to the 1:00am editions of "SportsCenter" and "Fox Sports Live," as both broadcasts led with the Ohio State-Michigan State men's basketball game, followed by about eight minutes of NBA and college basketball highlights. ESPN's first non-hoops report was on Johnny Manziel hiring an agent, while FS1 went with Chris Kluwe’s allegations against the Vikings. FS1 also featured a panel discussion on sports and social issues, including gay athletes and same-sex marriage.

ESPN2’s Keith Olbermann documented his “worst persons” in the world of sports, with MLB.com's Ken Gurnick called out for his "moronic" Baseball HOF ballot. Honorable mentions went to the FSU team store for selling BCS Championship T-shirts with the wrong score – "oops" – and Lakers G Kobe Bryant (a repeat offender), who "decided to reinvent Twitter" in the way that he manages his feed.

Writer Jack McCallum: “Remind me why we debated the Redskins name all season yet still had to listen to that teeth-grinding Seminoles cheer for 3 hours.”

Fox Sports’ Mike Hill: “Please…please…please SNL…you have to do a spoof of this Rodman SPOOF!!! Would say he lost his mind if I thought he had one to start with.”

Ventura County Star’s Jim Carlisle: “I realize my potatoes are very small, but I think baseball players with the numbers to get into the Hall of Fame should be voted in. Period.”

Film Critic Christy Lemire: “Dear @MLBNetwork: I love baseball so much and love this HOF debate you're airing, but isn't there one woman writer you could have included?

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

The NHL Kings posted this picture on its official Twitter feed featuring KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley alongside team mascot Bailey wearing face makeup similar to that worn by the band members.

Bobcats Sports & Entertainment and its Cats Care Foundation will make a major donation to Novant Health's Community Care Cruiser.

The exhibit "You Make The Call: Learn To Be An NFL Official" opens at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. It runs through Feb. 28.

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “The Titanic.”

“A member of parliament said, ‘Those who have been saved have been saved through one man,’ this Italian.”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” featured the category “Lord of the Rinks.”

For $200: “Hey, this Oiler is only No. 14 on the NHL’s all-time list of game-winning goal scorers! That’s not so 'Great.'”

For $400: “In 1989 goalie Vladislav Tretiak became the first player from this country to be inducted into the hockey Hall of Fame.”

For $600: “Tiger Williams, who once KO’d an opposing coach with a stick to the head, holds the NHL record for most PM, these.”

For $800: “In 2009 he followed his daddy Bobby into the hockey Hall of Fame.”

For $1000: “After Bill Quackenbush won this sportsmanship trophy in 1949, his tough-guy GM Jack Adams promptly traded him.”

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel: “Dennis Rodman took six former NBA players and four other players on a trip to North Korea to play an exhibition game against a local team in celebration of Kim Jong-Un's 31st birthday tomorrow. I guess after years of playing alongside Michael Jordan, Rodman is very comfortable with totalitarian dictators. Somehow they’ve become close friends. Rodman is like the uncle that Kim Jong-Un never had killed. Rodman has been getting a lot of criticism for palling around with an enemy of the United States. He claims, he says, it’s a great idea for the world and this is a guy who starred in the movie ‘Double Team’ with Jean-Claude Van Damme so he knows when there is a great idea for the world” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 1/7).

Comedy Central's Jon Stewart discussed the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado and compared it to the country's alcohol consumption, "So we clearly know that marijuana is a deadly gateway drug from which no sane person can ever hope to escape. But our view of alcohol is not even benign indifference, but celebratory where marijuana always leads you to a dark path. How do we view the effect of beer?" After airing a Coors Light commercial where a busy city street becomes a surf party and business suits become bikinis, Stewart said, "But rest assured, our children will never be exposed to this potentially overstated fantasy world that glorifies alcoholic consumption, unless they watch TV." Stewart said the many beer commercials during "one afternoon of football" gives him "cirrhosis of the eyeballs." Stewart: "I can't sit down with my kid for a pleasant afternoon watching grown men give each other concussions without being bombarded by the Harry Potter-esque transformative power of fermented hops" ("The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," Comedy Central, 1/7).

“Who was Guglielmo Marconi?”

Marconi was an inventor known for his work with radio transmissions.

Correct responses to the “Lord of the Rinks” category:

For $200: “Who is Wayne Gretzky?”

For $400: “What is Russia?”

For $600: “What are penalty minutes?”

For $800: “Who is Brett Hull?”

For $1000: “What is the Lady Byng?”