SB Nation parent company Vox Media today will announce that it has closed on a $46.5M round of financing from N.Y. investment firm General Atlantic that values the online publisher at $380M. Vox "has been adding publications to its portfolio in the last 12 months." Its seven online publications combined to double their online traffic in '14 to "about 150 million unique visitors a month" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/1).

A portion of an interview with former Ravens RB Ray Rice and his wife Janay aired on NBC’s “Today” this morning. In the taped interview, Janay said the “hardest part” since the elevator incident in Atlantic City has been "having so much of your life made public and have it all be negative" and "not having control over anything that has to do with you." Janay: "It’s a battle we just can’t win." She said of the tape being released, “There was no preparedness for that at all. When I saw that it was horrible” (“Today,” NBC, 12/1).

Sources said that Alabama-Birmingham is firing AD Brian Mackin and "will announce later this week that it will be shutting down its football program." This is a "move that boosters and former players had feared for the last month." UAB is "undergoing a university-wide yearlong comprehensive strategic planning study that includes the evaluation of the financial viability of football." Mackin has been UAB's AD since '07 (SI.com, 11/30). Hundreds of people yesterday rallied on campus in support of the football team "and in protest of the Board of Trustees" (AL.com, 11/30).

The NFL has flexed the Dec. 11 Bengals-Browns game to 1:00pm ET on Fox and the Vikings-Lions to 4:25pm on Fox. The Cowboys-Eagles game will remain on NBC’s “SNF.” The league also finalized the kickoff times for its Saturday doubleheader on Dec. 20. Eagles-Redskins will start at 4:30pm on NFL Network and Chargers-49ers will begin at 8:25pm on CBS. The final Week 16 schedule will be announced at a later date (NFL).

USA TODAY's Chris Chase writes, "How’s this for irony: In the worst year for competitive primetime games in recent NFL history, it’s almost certain the league won’t flex a single game to 'Sunday Night Football'" (USATODAY.com, 12/1).

The CFL Calgary Stampeders won the Grey Cup yesterday by defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20-16 before a "boisterous" crowd of 52,056 at BC Place Stadium, "1,423 short of a sellout" (CP, 11/30). The Stampeders "were so excited after winning the Grey Cup, they broke the trophy." LB Juwan Simpson "hoisted the Grey Cup above his head," and the "cup section of the trophy started to split from its base." Simpson said, "All of a sudden, it got a little (loose). Some glue and some duct tape and it'll be good" (CP, 11/30).

Dish Network's carriage deal with several Comcast SportsNet RSNs expires today, and Dish is "balking at an increase demanded by CSN." The agreement includes CSN Bay Area, California, Chicago and Mid-Atlantic. The two sides "appear to be at an impasse." Sources said that NBCUniversal, which operates the networks after being acquired by Comcast last year, "may be seeking closer to a 10 percent increase across the four markets" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/27). 

Australia-based winemaker Jacob's Creek has signed tennis player Novak Djokovic as an endorser, and the deal takes effect Jan. 13 ahead of the Australian Open. A major focus of the activation will be a film series called "Made By," shot in Djokovic's hometown of Belgrade, Serbia, in which he will tell stories about his life. The films are similar to the Jacob's Creek-produced series starring Andre Agassi (THE DAILY).

Preliminary construction on Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium renovation continues today and tomorrow "before the heavy digging begins in earnest on Wednesday." Work began as soon as Duke's football season ended Saturday with a win against Wake Forest and is "scheduled to last six to eight weeks." Crews will "remove the track that encircles the field and lower the playing field so that 6,500 new seats will be added behind both bench areas." A new video board will be erected "90 feet closer to the playing surface." The target date for completion is Aug. 1 (Durham HERALD-SUN, 11/28).

Several Chiefs players before last night’s game against the Broncos wore shirts with S Eric Berry’s name and number on the back, with the message, ‘Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Berry’ across the front.” Berry is out for the season as he “battles a mass in his chest that the team fears to be lymphoma.” The T-shirts will be made available to the public, with proceeds going “to an undetermined cancer charity” (K.C. STAR, 12/1).

Pro leagues are offering Cyber Monday deals today, such as MLB.com Shop's offer in which when one item is purchased, buyers can “get another for 50 percent off – and enjoy free shipping with no minimum whatsoever” (MLB.com, 12/1). NFLShop.com, Store.NBA.com and Shop.NHL.com are all offering 25% off orders over $50 through the end of the day (THE DAILY).

AP headline: "Black Friday Weekend Slows Down As Allure Fades." A total of 133.7 million people shopped in stores and online over the four-day weekend, down 5.2% from last year. Total spending for the weekend is expected to fall 11% to $50.9B from an estimated $57.4B in '13 (AP, 11/30). Average spending per shopper fell 6.4% to $380.95. For many retailers, opening on Thanksgiving “failed to produce strong sales for retailers nationwide and hurt Black Friday foot traffic” (DETROIT NEWS, 12/1).

The Rams’ “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” Ferguson tribute before yesterday’s game appears above the fold on this morning’s USA Today front page: “Players’ Quiet Protest” (THE DAILY). The players "created a stir during pregame introductions" with the gesture (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/1).

The Boston Olympics Partnership today will file its proposal with the USOC “in the first leg of competition” to host the ’24 Games (BOSTON HERALD, 12/1).

The Univ. of Nebraska yesterday fired football coach Bo Pelini and school AD Shawn Eichorst said that he will not “hire a search firm to help him find a new coach” (ESPN.com, 11/30).

A “minor power outage” caused a 30-minute delay in the first period of last night’s Canucks-Red Wings game at Joe Louis Arena (DETROIT NEWS, 12/1).

Nassau and Suffolk counties are asking New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to invest $1B in “state surplus funds for 10 infrastructure projects,” including a parking garage at Nassau Coliseum (NEWSDAY, 12/1).

TSN last night during its Grey Cup broadcast launched an ad campaign around the ’15 IIHF World Junior Championship dubbed “#HereWeGo.” The campaign, created in-house by Bell Media Agency, is set to the track of The Hives’ “Here We Go Again” (TSN).

The announced crowd of 78,431 for Patriots-Packers yesterday "is a record for Lambeau Field" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/1).
 
A Sounders postseason record crowd of 46,758 last night attended the second leg of the MLS Western Conference Championship at CenturyLink Field (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 12/1).

An estimated crowd of 12,000 yesterday attended the Int’l Premier Tennis League Manila Mavericks-Singapore Slammers at the Philippines’ Mall of Asia Arena. The match featured a “much-awaited appearance” of Serena Williams, who is playing for the Singapore side (AP, 11/30).

“We never really know what the salary cap is going to be … and that’s way out of our control. Everyone is very confident with our management inside our organization. That’s something we can’t be worried about” – Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane, on the sagging Canadian dollar affecting the ’15-16 NHL salary cap (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/1).

“2022, it is Qatar, and ladies and gentlemen, believe me, with all that has been said around the world by whom? Those not involved with what happens in football” – FIFA President Sepp Blatter, saying that the ’22 World Cup will not be moved from the Middle Eastern country (REUTERS, 11/30).

"It's a huge honor. It means I pass more than people say" – Lakers G Kobe Bryant, on surpassing the 6,000-assist career milestone during Sunday's game against the Raptors (ESPN.com, 12/1).

Story of the year in MLS might be the Kraft family finally going all-in on the Revolution ... and having it pay off.

— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) December 1, 2014

The number of women in US & Canada playing fantasy football has more than doubled since 2007 to 8.3 million, it's 20% of all players #fsta

— Brad Adgate (@badgate) December 1, 2014

That moment when you receive prison fan mail, research the prisoner only to find he murdered and dismembered a woman. #NoPicForYou

— Michelle Beadle (@MichelleDBeadle) December 1, 2014

Legitimately feel for the fans. They get the short end of the stick while Snyder gets richer, Bruce Allen gets a raise and promotion.

— Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) December 1, 2014

Friday’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Bodies of Water.”

“First encountered in 1648 by a man born in Russia, it was eventually named after a man born in Denmark.”

Friday night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” featured the category “NBA Last Name’s The Same.”

For $200: “Jermaine and Shaquille.”

For $400: “Reggie and Andre.”

For $600: “Karl and Moses.”

For $800: “DeAndre and Michael.”

For $1000: “Dwight and Juwan.”

“What is the Bering Strait?”

Correct responses to the “NBA Last Name’s The Same” category:

For $200: “What is O’Neal?”

For $400: “What is Miller?”

For $600: “What is Malone?”

For $800: “What is Jordan?”

For $1000: “What is Howard?”