Yahoo Sports has launched its own set of daily fantasy games, placing the company in direct competition against established daily fantasy leaders FanDuel and DraftKings. Like those rivals, Yahoo Sports Daily Fantasy will offer cash prizes for one-day and one-week fantasy games, beginning immediately with play around MLB games. Yahoo is clearly betting that its broad digital reach and ability to market directly to its existing fantasy audience will prompt significant shifts in current daily fantasy market share.

ESPN last night officially stated that it would not bring back Keith Olbermann and his self-titled ESPN2 show after his contract expires at the end of the month. The net in a statement said, “Keith is a tremendous talent who has consistently done timely, entertaining and thought-provoking work since returning to ESPN. While the show’s content was distinctive and extremely high quality, we ultimately made a business decision to move in another direction” (THE DAILY).

A source said that ESPN execs "were pleased with the quality of Olbermann's program," but felt the show "was not attracting a level of viewership required to keep it on the air" (VARIETY.com, 7/8).

An approximate crowd of 15,200 last night attended the T'Wolves' intrasquad scrimmage at Target Center. The figure was “600 more fans than the Wolves averaged per game last season.” The event, which was free to the public, offered fans their "first real glimpse" at first-round draft picks Karl-Anthony Towns and Tyus Jones. It also gave the team a "reason to sell season-ticket packages and jerseys" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/9).

FIFA's independent ethics committee announced that former FIFA Exec Committee member Chuck Blazer has been "banned from all football-related activity for life." Blazer agreed to go undercover for the FBI "as part of a plea bargain that saw him avoid a possible 75-year jail sentence, having pleaded guilty to 10 charges" in '13. Those charges included "bribery, money laundering and tax evasion" (INDEPENDENT.co.uk, 7/9).

The Prince George's County (Md.) Board of Commissioners yesterday approved the Univ. of Maryland's proposal to "sell beer at Byrd Stadium and Xfinity Center beginning in September." This comes "nearly a month after Maryland President Wallace D. Loh approved the student-led proposal." Of the 128 FBS schools, 32 allowed alcohol sales last season, but "only five of those" were from Power Five conferences. UMD "projects beer sales will bring at least $500,000 annually of added revenue" (Baltimore SUN, 7/9).

Businesses have contributed $450,000 to pay for tomorrow's ticker-tape parade in N.Y. to celebrate Team USA's FIFA Women's World Cup title, "well short" of the $2M price tag for the event. MLS, Nike, Mondelez and Electronic Arts are "among the early sponsors," but "those companies have been shockingly alone." The city is "preparing to bite the bullet and cover" as much as $1.5M in deficit (N.Y. POST, 7/9).

Meanwhile, a Rutgers spokesperson said that the school "has reserved several buses to transport members of the Rutgers community" to the parade. USWNT MF Carli Lloyd is a former Rutgers player and "one of several New Jerseyans on the team" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 7/9).

NBCSN will launch an eight-episode reality series called “Mobsteel” Aug. 16 at 6:00pm ET. The series, which takes place in a custom car shop in Detroit, will debut after the network’s coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400. Future episodes will be scheduled for Wednesday nights from 10:00-11:00pm. NBCSN is hoping that the series will work with the growing amount of motorsports programming it has on its schedule.

The NBA formally announced that the salary cap has increased 11% to an all-time high of $70M for the ’15-16 season. The tax level increased by 10.3% to $84.7M (NBA).

Budapest has “entered an increasingly crowded race to host” the ’24 Games. Paris, Rome, Hamburg and Boston “already have launched campaigns” (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 7/8).

The Metropolitan Council approved a $7M “pedestrian bridge near the new Vikings stadium in downtown Minneapolis.” The Vikings have agreed to pay “half of the construction cost,” up to $3.5M (STARTRIBUNE.com, 7/8).

Almost 50,000 tickets have been sold for the July 22 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals at the Georgia Dome, “putting it on pace to set a new attendance record for soccer in metro Atlanta” (AJC.com, 7/8).

“I’ve been in the sport for over 25 years. I guess because I’m doing business with the PBC or because I’m doing business with Al Haymon, I’m a sham? Was everybody else a sham who was doing business with him previously?” – Boxing promoter Lou DiBella, on other promoters accusing Haymon of violating the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act and illegally working as both a manager and a promoter (N.Y. POST, 7/9).

“I don’t feel as though the right that every other citizen has to take certain things over-the-counter to help their own physical health should be taken away just because we play golf” – Phil Mickelson, on golfer Scott Stallings’ suspension for taking a drug prescribed by a doctor (GOLFWEEK.com, 7/8).

"The fans over there really love this game and they’re just going to continue to try and grow it. Now they’re going to do it in the best venue they can” – ESPN’s Mark Dominik, on the NFL agreeing to play games at the proposed Tottenham Hotspur stadium (“NFL Insiders,” ESPN, 7/8).

Last night’s 2:00am ET editions of ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and FS1’s “Fox Sports Live” led with C DeAndre Jordan going back to the Clippers after verbally agreeing to sign with the Mavericks. ESPN followed with Cardinals-Cubs, Phillies-Dodgers and Rays-Royals. The first ESPN report on Wimbledon was 15 minutes into the broadcast. FS1 followed with a fireworks-related injury update on Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul and Buccaneers CB C.J. Wilson, Rays-Royals and A’s-Yankees.

ESPN’s Keith Olbermann called out his “world’s worst” persons in sports: Ole Miss men’s basketball coach Andy Kennedy for his appearance in a ticket sales campaign video for the school. Olbermann also put on notice the Double-A Eastern League Hartford Yard Goats for their new logo, and Redskins Owner Dan Snyder after a Federal judge ruled the term “Redskins” is disparaging to Native-Americans.

USA TODAY notes the NFL "gives individual teams the authority to develop social media guidelines for players and employees." But "ambiguity has resulted in some players feeling there should be more leeway and less punishment." Meanwhile, the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS goes with the header, "Recruits Cautious As Colleges Watch Them On Social Media."

SPORTSONEARTH.com notes Rory McIlroy's injury while playing soccer "has already launched way too many TV and radio talk show screaming matches about which off-field or off-course activities are acceptable for highly paid athletes."

Also:

• How FIFA could do more to develop the women's game globally.
• All England Club holds firm on all-white attire at Wimbledon.
• Some of the most memorable Wimbledon moments in last 40 years.

Last week of June / first week of July, when pretty much everyone associated with NFL is off, long has been most dangerous time on calendar.

— Neil Best (@sportswatch) July 9, 2015

Wonder if reason for NBA pre-signing FA period is to 'legalize' tampering, as new NFL rule. Opens up reneging scenarios, trust issues.

— Andrew Brandt (@adbrandt) July 9, 2015

FIFA bans FBI whistleblower Chuck Blazer from football for life. Given racketeering charges and grave ill-health, may be least of worries

— Paul Kelso (@pkelso) July 9, 2015

Bill Simmons. Gone. Keith Olbermann. Gone. Roger Goodell’s critics at ESPN are shrinking, aren’t they...

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 9, 2015

A bottle of 2010 @lynch_bages to celebrate five years with @JMIteam and our office in @discoverhk pic.twitter.com/Wb9cSC9ScV

— Matthew Marsh (@MatthewMarshHK) July 9, 2015

Donald Trump’s “viability as a celebrity endorser is now near” Vikings RB Adrian Peterson and Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez following his “controversial remarks on Mexican immigration,” according to The Marketing Arm. Burns Entertainment & Sports CEO Bob Williams: “Right now he is headed to endorsement oblivion” (WSJ.com, 7/8)

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “The Thomas Jefferson Administration.”

“Of this agreement, Thomas Jefferson said he ‘stretched the Constitution until it cracked.’”

TBS’ Conan O’Brien said of having his show in San Diego during the week of Comic-Con, “Have you noticed it seems like every business in San Diego jacks up their prices this week? Have you noticed that? It's true. It’s gotten so bad the NFL team has changed its name to the San Diego Overchargers” (“Conan,” TBS, 7/8).

“What is the Louisiana Purchase?”