Phoenix Int'l Raceway today is expected to announce that it will be formally renamed Jeff Gordon Raceway for the Nov. 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 to honor the driver. If Gordon follows through with his plan to retire after this season, that "would make Phoenix his penultimate race." Some "aspects of the renaming will benefit Gordon's Children's Foundation and Phoenix Raceway Charities." He has four career wins at the track (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/12).

Crowds at Westchester Country Club for the KPMG Women's PGA Championship "will need a surge" this weekend "to meet pre-tournament goals." Opening-round attendance yesterday was "modest," with estimates "in the neighborhood of 2,500-3,000." Tournament Dir Bob Jeffrey prior to the event said that organizers "hoped to average between 5,000-7,000 spectators a day." Golfer Cristie Kerr said, "I think it will be a lot bigger [Friday] and then on the weekend" (Westchester JOURNAL NEWS, 6/12).

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver appeared on ABC during halftime of last night's Warriors-Cavaliers Game 4 at Quicken Loans Arena. ESPN’s Sage Steele asked, “What stands out to you with this series?” Silver: “What stands out is the level of competition. Great stories from both teams, two incredibly well-run teams and not traditional big markets, that's what stands out to me. … It's a 30-team league and you don't know who’s going to emerge.”

Silver said of trying to reduce injuries during the NBA season, “We know there's a correlation between fatigue and injury. So ... if we can reduce the number of back-to-backs, reduce the number of four games out of five nights, we're working on that. We're working on freeing up buildings like this one so that more dates are available for scheduling. Unfortunately, they take some time to work through, all those issues, but we're going to get there” (“Warriors-Cavaliers,” ABC, 6/11).

Tokyo Games organizers today released a list of 26 sports that have "applied for inclusion" in the '20 Olympics, and officials will "announce a shortlist of candidates on June 22." Finalists "will make a presentation in Tokyo in August, and organizers will make recommendations" to the IOC by Sept. 30. The IOC "will make a final decision" in August '16 (AP, 6/12).

The Tom Benson competency hearing is "expected to conclude" in New Orleans today, which will be "the eighth day of testimony." A ruling is "not expected from the bench" today, and there is "no definite timeline" for Civil District Judge Kern Reese to rule (AP, 6/11). Lawyers for the Saints and Pelicans Owner yesterday said that they have "just two more witnesses – and neither of them are Tom Benson." The decision not to put him on the stand "raises doubts as to whether the team owner will say a word from the witness box" (NOLA.com, 6/11).

President Obama last night attended the annual congressional baseball game between Republicans and Democrats at Nationals Park. He reportedly "spent time with both teams and brought a gift of White House-brewed beer for the winners." The Democratic team won 5-2. Obama also took a photo opp with the Nationals' racing presidents mascot and issued a "challenge for them" via Twitter (LATIMES.com, 6/12).

I challenged them to a race. pic.twitter.com/FpEUTnYgoD

— President Obama (@POTUS) June 12, 2015

Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner Tom Yeager, “the longest-tenured commissioner of a Division I conference,” will retire after the next school year (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 6/12).

Relativity Media Founder Ryan Kavanaugh is “telling people close to him he will try to reposition the troubled studio as an Internet play.” The studio faces a June 29 “do-or-die day" to pay off $300M in debt (N.Y. POST, 6/12).

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo is “stepping down” and co-Founder Jack Dorsey will replace him as interim CEO. Costolo will remain on Twitter’s board (L.A. TIMES, 6/12).

The Orlando City Council next week is “expected to approve an agreement” that would keep the Cure Bowl at the renovated Citrus Bowl for at least the next five years (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/12).

“The thing that’s so frustrating is (the notion) that St. Louis doesn’t support the NFL when it’s gone above and beyond supporting this product. You want to see bad support, put this team in L.A. and see who shows up” – Fox’ Joe Buck, on the Rams possibly relocating (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/12).

“I think Pete’s role can be very significant. … I’m not sure what they’re going to do with him, but I do know that his participation will be very well-received by the players and I know the city is certainly excited about it as well” – Baseball HOFer Barry Larkin, on former MLBer Pete Rose taking part in All-Star Game festivities in Cincinnati (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 6/12).

"They've been doing it without us having to really notice anything that's different. That's impressive" – MLB Giants P Matt Cain, on the field conditions at AT&T Park as grounds crews conserve water during California's historic drought (AP, 6/12).

“Tonight is Game 4 of the NBA Finals from the Quicken Loans Arena, which makes sense it would be from Quicken Loans Arena because ticket prices are so high a lot of the fans have to take a Quicken loan out to be able to get a seat for this game" – ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel (“Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night,” ABC, 6/11). See Laugh Track for more on Kimmel's take on the NBA Finals.

Last night’s 1:00am ET editions of ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and FS1’s “Fox Sports Live” led with Warriors-Cavaliers. ESPN followed with Angels-Rays and Rockies-Marlins. FS1 followed with Giants-Mets and Angels-Rays.

ESPN’s Keith Olbermann called out his “world’s worst” persons in sports: FIFA President Sepp Blatter for firing FIFA’s spokesperson after he made a joke on European television. Olbermann also put on notice actor Charlie Sheen, who took umbrage with my commentary here demanding the suspension” of USWNT G Hope Solo, and a South Korean soccer player for not making his debut because he failed a drug test.

SI.com on Dan Beebe: "The former Big 12 commissioner and the butt of every realignment-related joke basically predicted the future as he tried to make the case to keep his league from blowing apart."

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: "Hundreds of men have called Mario Lemieux a teammate or coworker. Few, however, can say they predicted Le Magnifique would become the longest-tenured and most successful owner in Penguins history."

Also:

• Hockey HOFer Ken Dryden explains Canada's Stanley Cup drought.
• Early retirements in NFL raise red flags about sport's safety issues.
• Cowboys using virtual reality, drone technology to get an edge.
• Nationals players' wives show support for LGBT inclusion efforts.
• Why Dodgers organist Nancy Bea Hefley decided not to retire.
• Warriors Exec Board member Jerry West no stranger to Finals.
• Former UNLV AD Jim Livengood helped bring back UAB football.
• Shanshan Feng's success in LPGA gives golf a boost in China.

The under the basket camera has always been dangerous. The camera following players into the huddle is just unnecessary, IMO.

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) June 12, 2015

Love them showing the locker room speeches on TV. Great for the fans.

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) June 12, 2015

I totally missed Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction live. But I circled back later to educate myself. Will not be doing same for LeBron’s.

— Darin Gantt (@daringantt) June 12, 2015

CEO of Twitter fired today. Finally we can go to 180 characters

— Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) June 12, 2015

The '15 Sports Facilities & Franchises Conference wraps up at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara, with morning sessions including a one-on-one interview with MLB Giants President & CEO Larry Baer.

The Women's Basketball HOF will name its South Rotunda after former Univ. of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, who was part of the HOF's first induction class in '99.

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!’” category was “Mediterranean Islands.”

“A statue of St. Paul is located on this island where he took refuge after a shipwreck.”

Kimmel said of the NBA Finals, “It's been an exciting series and a tough ticket to get. Ticket prices in Cleveland shot up after Game 3 to an average price of $1,600 per seat. That was the average price, and of course, we all know tickets to the game are expensive. I think we expect that. But this is a photograph someone posted of the menu board at Oracle Arena where the Warriors play.” Kimmel noted the photo featured prices at the arena where a “hot dog and beer combo” was $25.50 because “$25 isn't enough, they had to tack on the extra 50 cents. I guess they figure if you're paying $1,600 or $1,800 for your seat you can no longer comprehend what amounts of money things are worth anymore.” More Kimmel: “Most of the talk this series has been about LeBron James and rightly so. You have to believe that … if you showed highlights of LeBron James playing to Dr. James Naismith, the guy who invented basketball in the late 1800s, he would wet his pants and run away screaming” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 6/11).

NBC’s Jimmy Fallon said, “There is a video online that's very cool yesterday which showed LeBron James when he was just 16 talking about his dream of playing in the NBA, which is interesting because most of his teammates still have that same dream” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 6/11).

Last night’s edition of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” once again the regular segment “Superlatives,” where host Jimmy Fallon handed awards to players from the Warriors and Cavaliers (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 6/11).

“What is Malta?”