Patriots QB Tom Brady is “expected to appeal” his Deflategate penalty sometime before today’s 5:00pm ET deadline. The NFL must decide whether to “hear Brady’s appeal within 10 days, but it isn’t yet known who will hear it.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the “authority to preside over the appeal process, but he also can appoint someone else to serve as the appeal officer” (NEWSDAY, 5/14).

EA Sports last night named Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. as the winner of the cover vote for the forthcoming “Madden NFL 16” video game. Beckham Jr. prevailed in a four-man bracket that was much smaller than several prior cover votes, and included Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski, Steelers WR Antonio Brown and Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson. Beckham garnered 52.5% of the vote in the final vote against Gronkowski, which was announced live on the 6:00pm ET "SportsCenter" last night. “Madden NFL 16” will be released Aug. 25.

A potential $1B concussion settlement between the NFL and retired players "could be delayed" after former NFLer Craig Heimburger "filed a notice of appeal on Wednesday in the landmark case." Even if Heimburger's appeal is ultimately lost, payments to players "suffering the effects of concussions would be delayed while the case is heard." The settlement includes allowing for monetary awards of up to $5M "per retired player for serious medical conditions associated with repeated head trauma" (REUTERS, 5/14).

The Collegiate Licensing Co. today announced a multiyear extension with Syracuse Univ. to continue managing the school’s trademark licensing program. The ’13-14 season represented the largest royalty collection in the history of the school’s licensing program, which currently has more than 1,300 retailers carrying officially-licensed products. The school has seen annual royalty gains in each of the previous five years ago (CLC).

Colorado State announced that it will “provide a cost-of-attendance stipend to its scholarship student-athletes beginning Aug. 1.” In-state student athletes on full scholarship will receive approximately $2,400 annually, while out-of-state student athletes on full scholarship will receive about $3,100. Partial scholarship athletes will “receive a stipend corresponding to the percentage of their scholarship.” The total annual funding for the stipends will be $654,000 (DENVER POST, 5/14).

The Sports Lawyers Association today will kick off its 41st annual conference in Baltimore. The three-day program will feature 25 panels and breakout sessions on legal issues facing the sports industry, including those surrounding how teams and leagues discipline players and owners as well as challenges to the NCAA and to college sports. Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens will deliver the keynote address tomorrow. Reps from the four major leagues and their respective players unions are expected to speak on Saturday.

WNBA Liberty President Isiah Thomas reportedly has “filed paperwork for partial ownership” of the team (AP, 5/13).
 
UAB President Ray Watts said that the school “would announce its decision on whether to reinstate football by June 1” (AL.com, 5/13).

Promoter Tom Loeffler said that Saturday’s Gennady Golovkin-Willie Monroe Jr. bout at the Forum in Inglewood “has nearly sold out.” The venue has a boxing capacity of 12,600 (AP, 5/13).

Rockies manager Walt Weiss left Angel Stadium prior to last night’s game against the Angels and “underwent an appendectomy.” Weiss is “expected to be hospitalized” until later today (DENVER POST, 5/14).

“We’ve had quite a few people inquiring about getting [Tom Brady’s] jersey on discounts” – Matthew Smith, who owns the Sports Mania shop in Jacksonville, on Deflategate boosting sales of Patriots merchandise and memorabilia (JACKSONVILLE.com, 5/13).

“My goal is to put on a race where no matter where you’re from or how fast you are, it’s going to be a sound, safe experience. I believe anyone can do this marathon, and I want them to have a great time” – Peter Ciaccia, who is taking over the NY Marathon Race Dir duties from Mary Wittenberg (N.Y. TIMES, 5/14).

“I think the leagues have tremendous leverage to those deals, so it’s not like we’re going to get in and de-leverage the leagues. We’re going to go in and overpay like everyone else does, so it doesn’t get me that excited” – Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, on getting into the sports market (LATIMES.com, 5/13).

“I’ve been doing a little pondering, a lot of ruminating, and I’m not thinking of this as a retirement. I’m thinking of this in terms, well I like to think of it as a multigame suspension” – CBS' David Letterman, on his run as "Late Show" host nearing an end (“Late Show,” CBS, 5/13).

The BOSTON GLOBE writes of recent punishments handed down by the NFL: “The gap in crime vs. punishment is … an issue with the [NFLPA], which believes the NFL lacks consistency, especially as the league has fallen on its collective face trying to get a grip on disciplining players involved in domestic violence incidents.”

The ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION writes of the implications of the cost-of-attendance stipend: “Athletic departments that already struggle to break even are cutting costs and seeking additional revenue streams to cover the new expense.”

Also:

• Whirlwind ascent for USA’s Alex Morgan since last Women’s World Cup.
• IndyCar using in-car cameras to put viewers in the fast lane.
• How Jay Glazer began training athletes, celebrities at his Hollywood gym.
• Martin Truex Jr. showing that one-car team can thrive in NASCAR.
• A look at the “toys” golf broadcast producers use to “wow” viewers.

Wow.... That was as raucous an atmosphere as I can remember at Oracle. Bravo Dub Nation.

— Dan Martinez (@dmar) May 14, 2015

Kudos to Inside the NBA for allowing Kenny to reflect on Bill Guthridge tonight and acknowledging a big loss for UNC.

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) May 14, 2015

Man I just personally wanna thank all the love and support from everybody for voting today !! It's mean so much to be on the cover of Madden

— Odell Beckham Jr (@OBJ_3) May 14, 2015

What DC sports fans need right now is an announcement that Leonsis and Lerner are teaming up to buy the football team.

— Niels Lesniewski (@nielslesniewski) May 14, 2015

Last night’s 2:00am ET editions of ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and FS1’s “Fox Sports Live” led with Capitals-Rangers, followed by Wizards-Hawks, Grizzlies-Warriors and Cardinals-Indians.

ESPN’s Keith Olbermann called out his “world’s worst” persons in sports: A team manager in the Korean baseball league for putting a “shift” on against a batter by placing the third baseman behind the catcher. Olbermann also put on notice a fan in the media room after an Argentine soccer game for stealing a tablet while on-camera, and former MLBer Jorge Posada for stating known PED users should not be in the HOF.

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Famous Names.”

“In March 2012 this director tweeted, ‘Just arrived at the ocean’s deepest pt. Hitting bottom never felt so good.’”

Last night’s edition of Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore” featured a panel of comedian Ahmed Ahmed, journalist Lola Ogunnaike and actor Joel McHale discussing Tom Brady's Deflategate punishment. Ahmed was asked whether the “cheating” by the Patriots in Deflategate or the “lying” about it was worse, “Lying about cheating I think is worse.” McHale said “you have to be good at lying if you want to cheat.” McHale: “Maybe if he were to beat the balls in an elevator security cam then he wouldn’t be suspended for as many games.” Ogunnaike: “The one true punishment is that every time you Google his name now shrunken balls will come up” (“The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore,” Comedy Central, 5/13).

NBC’s Jimmy Fallon said of Deflategate, “Everyone is talking about it, even the White House is weighing in. Yesterday they encouraged Tom Brady to ‘be mindful of the way he serves as a role model,’ and then President Obama stubbed out his cigarette and went golfing at noon on a weekday. Yeah, the White House encouraged Tom Brady to be more of a role model. They would have said more but there was a drunk Secret Service agent streaking across the Rose Garden” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 5/13).

Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Things Overheard At The Olive Garden Test Kitchen” (“Late Show,” CBS, 5/13).

10) "Is it pronounced 'Italian' or 'Eye-talian?'"
9) "How about a breadstick you can sleep on called the bedstick?"
8) "Stop trying to play God!"
7) "Noodle fight!"
6) "It's the first of the month -- everyone wash your hands."
5) "I want fifty ideas for scampi on my desk by Monday."
4) "Have we tried deep-fried lasagna?"
3) "The Feds! Destroy everything!"
2) "Starting to think it wasn't oregano in that baggie."
1) "What other shapes of meat could we make besides balls?"

“Who is James Cameron?”