The Baseball HOF yesterday inducted players Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio, and Martinez turned the ceremony "into his personal party," delivering a "passionate, emotional and soulful" speech. Martinez "made sure to represent the Dominican and the USA in his wardrobe, wearing a bright blue jacket with a red, white and blue tie" (USA TODAY, 7/27). He culminated his time on stage by asking Juan Marichal, "the only other Dominican in the Hall, to stand beside him." Marichal "proudly showed off the flag of the Dominican Republic" (Albany TIMES UNION, 7/27). It was "pure Pedro – forever the showman" (ESPN.com, 7/26). BOSTON GLOBE headline: "A Joyous Nation Showers Love Upon Pedro Martinez."

The ceremony drew an estimated crowd of 45,000, "one of the largest crowds for an induction." While Martinez "broke somewhat with protocol, the rest of the ceremony stuck to its rituals" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27). Meanwhile, J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner Tom Gage on Saturday delivered a "wildly humorous and heartfelt speech" (DETROIT NEWS, 7/27). Dick Enberg accepted the Ford C. Frick Award, and his entry into the HOF was "long overdue" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/27).

DraftKings has closed on a $300M Series D round of venture funding, valuing the company at more than $1B and "extending a historic wave of investment" into the daily fantasy space. Fox Sports led the round, joined by MLB, the NHL, MLS, MSG and Legends Hospitality. Existing investors including Atlas Venture, The Kraft Group and The Raine Group also participated, with Raine serving as financial adviser on the deal. The deal also includes $250M in "marketing commitments for DraftKings on Fox platforms over roughly three years" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/27 issue).

See today's issue of The Daily for more.

The USOC will meet today to address "Boston's shaky bid" for the '24 Games, and BOD member Anita DeFrantz said that she "won't be surprised" if the $4.6B plan comes up for a vote. DeFrantz: "We need to know how (Boston) is doing and if the people of the city are interested in hosting." Another official said that Boston’s bid is "on the agenda" for a teleconference among USOC BOD members (BOSTON HERALD, 7/26).

The NFL is using Odell Beckham, Victor Cruz, Antonio Brown, Eddie Lacy and Randall Cobb in its new campaign touting fantasy football. The campaign – called “Friends Don’t Small Talk, Friends Talk Fantasy” – will run on the league’s TV partners. Spots already have started to appear on NFL Network. NFL Media developed the ads in collaboration with Grey Group. In one 15-second commercial, Lacy and Cobb are riding stationary bikes next to each other, when Cobb, looking at his phone, says, “My sister traded you for Cam Newton.”

The Mexican men's national soccer team yesterday won its seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup and third in four tournaments with a 3-1 victory over Jamaica. The final drew 68,930 fans to Lincoln Financial Field, "the largest crowd to attend a soccer game in Philadelphia." Mexico earns a one-game playoff against the U.S. in October for the right to represent CONCACAF at the '17 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia (PHILLY.com, 7/27).

Security guards at Gold Cup matches "seemed at times willing to tolerate anything but free speech." At Saturday's third-place match, in which Panama beat the U.S. on penalty kicks, "guards confiscated a sign held by Panamanian fans that said, 'Concacash.'" The "enduring image of this messy tournament is sure to be a banner held up by Panamanian players that called Concacaf officials thieves and corrupt – an audacious repudiation of regional integrity" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27).

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell this week is "expected to announce his decision" about Patriots QB Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game Deflategate suspension. The ruling "should come by Wednesday," when the Patriots report to training camp. It "wouldn't be fair for New England to begin its preseason preparations without knowing whether Brady is cleared to play" (FOXSPORTS.com, 7/26).

A source said that the Vikings have finalized a deal with STRIVR Labs to use the company's "immersive training solution." This comes as the NFL's "virtual reality revolution is moving quickly enough" that Commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly "toured STRIVR's facilities last week." The Cowboys and 49ers "previously were known to have signed on with STRIVR," and the Patriots reportedly "will use the technology as well." The Buccaneers signed with competitor EON Sports (USA TODAY, 7/27).

The Charlotte City Council today will consider a proposal in which taxpayers would spend $600,000 to help fund the '17 NBA All-Star Game, with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority to contribute "millions of additional dollars." The subsidy for the game is nearly $5.9M, and most of the subsidies "would come from hospitality taxes." The $600,000 figure would come in the form of "in-kind services for traffic control and police." The Hornets would contribute $150,000 (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/25). 

The Pan Am Games concluded yesterday in Toronto, and organizers said that 1.05 million tickets were sold "out of an available 1.3 million." Pan Am Games spokesperson Neala Barton said that most of those tickets "were full price tickets, too, not discounts, or bulk sales or sponsor giveaways." Toronto 2015 CEO Saad Rafi said that "about two million people experienced some form of Pan Am event live, whether it was a concert, an art exhibit," or sports event (NATIONAL POST, 7/26).

The IOC today announced that beIN Media Group has secured Olympic broadcast rights in the Middle East and North Africa from ’18-24. The deal covers the ’18 PyeongChang and ’20 Tokyo Games and the ’22 and ’24 Olympics, whose host cities have yet to be awarded (AP, 7/27).

PGA Tour officials today are expected to officially announce that tickets for the ’16 WGC-Dell Match Play at Austin Country Club “will go on sale to the public Sept. 15” (MYSTATESMAN.com, 7/27).

Ballpark Village today will host a press conference announcing that Busch Stadium will host the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s Nov. 13 match, the “first home World Cup qualifier” for the ’18 tournament in Russia (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 7/27).

“The only person I’ve really talked to about it is Larry Bird because I want to be a GM. So I wanted to talk to him about the experience, because he got there” – WNBA Fever F Tamika Catchings, who is retiring at season’s end, on her future plans (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27).

“I’m hoping the Rams come back. I do go to St. Louis, they’re still the Rams and the team I played for, but a lot of guys feel the same way. They’d like to have them back here in town” – Pro Football HOFer Eric Dickerson, on wanting the Rams to relocate to L.A. (ESPN.com, 7/24).

“We have never filled this stadium. To my dying day I want to see that – when you come out here, look around and don’t see a seat available” – North Texas football coach Dan McCarney, on attendance dipping last year to 19,000. North Texas plays in the 31,000-seat capacity Apogee Stadium (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/26).

The ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER goes with the header, "Odds Improve For NFL's Return To L.A. Area With Carmen Policy Trying To Help The Chargers, Raiders Reach Carson."

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE notes with the '15 NFL Draft, Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Music Festival and farewell Grateful Dead concerts all held in Chicago, "the city's plan to raise its profile and promote tourism through large-scale events is showing momentum."

Also: 

• Columnist describes walking in Special Olympics Opening Ceremony.
• Twin Cities sports teams have been secretive with naming-rights values. 
• In 21st century, MLB game experience is full of advertising.
• Can Lou Lamoriello serve as role model for 76ers GM Sam Hinkie?
• How Bears GM Ryan Pace is improving team's front-office culture.

loved the inscription on pedro's plaque. said he did it in an era of "high octane" offense. brilliant wording! #kudos

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 27, 2015

Surprised there haven't been more altercations like Reggie Jackson's in Cooperstown. Autograph stalkers can be intrusive and creepy.

— Tim Sullivan (@TimSullivan714) July 27, 2015

If Mike Tomlin coaches out this contract thru 2018 (and why won’t he?) that’ll mean 3 Steelers coaches in exactly 50 seasons.

— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) July 27, 2015

LOL. Watching Sportscenter in airport and they were trying to explain how KyBusch isn't in Chase with four wins but Gordon is in w/no wins.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 27, 2015

Friday night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “National Airlines.”

“This small land’s airline advertises a ‘stopover’; seven nights at no extra travel charge to break up a Boston-to-Brussels trip.”

Last night’s edition of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” featured host John Oliver once again taking shots at FIFA, an “international crime syndicate that occasionally organizes soccer matches.” Oliver noted former FIFA VP Jeffrey Webb “just last week faced charges of accepting bribes worth millions of dollars. He pled not guilty and was released on $10 million bail. But wait, just wait, until you see how he came up with it.” Webb posted bail using a Ferrari, ten properties, and five Rolex watches, which according to Oliver, “does not look great when you're fighting corruption charges. His bail was apparently set at ‘one midlife crisis.’" Oliver noted sponsors are putting pressure on FIFA to reform, and “you know your organization is in trouble when McDonald's says it is not satisfied. This is coming from the maker of greyish-brown meat circles, tiny condensed chicken mistakes and once a year, the shamrock shake, aka leprechaun's diarrhea” (“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” HBO, 7/26).

“What is Iceland?”