Kevin Durant chose to reveal on The Players' Tribune that he is headed to the Warriors in free agency, and the website "crashed almost immediately after the announcement went live" yesterday. It was "immediately apparent that owner Derek Jeter needs to spend more resources on IT infrastructure" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/5). This came after CBS Sports did "jump the gun and prematurely announce that Durant was signing" with the Celtics. The net reportedly posted a video on Yahoo.com titled, "Durant's Decision: KD will join Horford on the Celtics" (PHILLY.com, 7/4).

For the Thunder, the "shock of the Kevin Durant departure is impossible to calculate" (TULSA WORLD, 7/5). It will "take days" for Oklahoma City's "sting to wear off and years for the ramifications to truly be understood" (OKLAHOMAN, 7/5).

ISC today reported "surprise total revenue growth" in Q2, "though profit declined from a year ago as the racetrack operator's admissions revenue fell." For the three months ending May 31, revenue related to motorsports – "the biggest contributor to the company's top line" – rose 5.1% to $121M. Admissions revenue declined 8.4% to $30.5M, while "food, beverage and merchandise sales" dropped 11% to $10.3M (MARKETWATCH.com, 7/5).

Rapids G Tim Howard "had little to do" with the outcome of his MLS return yesterday "but was solid when he needed to be," as the Timbers and Rapids settled for a scoreless draw in the annual Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Howard "praised the 'great atmosphere'" of the "standing-room only crowd of 18,759" (DENVER POST, 7/5).

Meanwhile, an "announced crowd of 33,613 nearly filled" Yankee Stadium Sunday night for Red Bulls-NYC FC, and "produced all the festive trappings of a rivalry game." Red Bulls fans "filled sections of the right-field upper deck and competed in song with their counterparts in blue in the left-field bleachers (N.Y. TIMES, 7/4).    

Serena Williams "has dismissed her threat to sue Wimbledon as a remark made in the 'heat of the moment'" yesterday during a fourth-round win over Svetlana Kuznetsova. She "did not wish to play on in slippery playing conditions after light rain fell on Centre Court, in fear of sustaining an injury." With the score at 5-5 in the first set, Williams "voiced her concerns to the umpire Marija Cicak and the tournament referee Andrew Jarrett and was heard to say: 'If I get hurt, I'm suing.'" She later said, "I have no plans, no future of suing Wimbledon. Like, let's get serious" (London INDEPENDENT, 7/5).

The E-Sports Integrity Coalition today was officially launched in London, with Ian Smith as its first commissioner. With match fixing becoming a "huge opportunity for illegal profiteering," the ESIC seeks to "bring some law and order to this unregulated field." Should a tournament organizer "decide to work with ESIC and make The Program part of their rules, Smith and his team are able to prosecute if anyone is found breaking the code." ESIC is "working with bookmakers and data company Sportradar in order to monitor the eSports market" (PCGAMESN.com, 7/5).   

Construction "officially gets underway this week" on the Univ. of Memphis' new 58,000-square-foot men's basketball training facility. The $20M project "is expected to be completed" before the '17-18 season and will "include coaches' offices, an academic support center, locker rooms, a weight room, training and practice facilities and a large entryway that will highlight the program's history." Former UM player Bill Laurie and his wife, Nancy, donated an "athletic department-record" $10M toward the project in '13 (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 7/3).

Meanwhile, sources said that the Univ. of Houston is "expecting to receive" a $20M donation from Board of Regents Chair Tilman Fertitta to "help rebuild the school's basketball arena and put his name on it." Fertitta, the Landry's restaurants company Founder & CEO, would give $20M toward the $60M project (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/4).

The Padres on Friday held a "ribbon-cutting ceremony" for the team's new HOF at Petco Park. The area "encompasses 1,500 square feet of outside space and 2,000 square feet of inside space." Among those at  the opening ceremony were former Padres Dave Winfield, Randy Jones and Garry Templeton, as well as Alicia Gwynn, the wife of Tony Gwynn, and Claudia Williams, the daughter of Ted Williams. Claudia Williams "threw out the first pitch before Friday's game during a pregame ceremony in which her father was inducted" into the Padres HOF (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/2).

The Mets "will activate" SS Jose Reyes before today's game at Citi Field. Reyes will be making his '16 season debut "after serving a 52-game suspension for a domestic violence incident." It will be his "first time in a Mets uniform" since Sept. 28, 2011 (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/5). The Mets "go for their sixth straight win, against the Marlins" (N.Y. POST, 7/5).

TSN's seven-hour "Free Agent Frenzy" coverage of NHL roster moves on Friday drew an average of 317,000 viewers, up 7% from last year and making it the most-watched "Free Agent Frenzy" to date (Bell Media).

A crowd of 21,713 filled Hayward Field last night during the fourth day of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials (Eugene REGISTER-GUARD, 7/5).

The LPGA Portland Classic will return to Columbia Edgewater Country Club next year. Although a contract "has not yet been signed, it will return with Cambia as title sponsor for a third year" (PORTLAND TRIBUNE, 7/2).  

The video for the official Rio Games theme song was released over the weekend. "Alma e Coracao" (translated "Soul and Heart") is performed by samba star Thiaquinho featuring rapper Projota (Mult., 7/3).

"What we're doing here parallels everything in life. There is always some sort of inequality, but there's also people that want to stand up and speak their voice and fight for what's right" – Venus Williams, on how advocating for full equality between men's and women's players at Wimbledon has ramifications throughout society (N.Y. TIMES, 7/3).

"It’s like speed-dating. It’s probably the best way to put it. So I’ll do four or five hours of speed-dating on the lawn. And then I’ll go through player dining and try to say to say hi to some of the guys" – ATP Winston-Salem Open Tournament Dir Bill Oakes, on spending a week at Wimbledon recruiting players for his Aug. 20-27 tourney (WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 7/3).

"It was annoying. I just focused on training, kept positive. That's what I did. Kept all that legal stuff as far away as possible" – U.S. runner Boris Berian, on recent litigation against Nike (AP, 7/5).

The S.F. CHRONICLE notes Comcast "plans an all-out blitz" for NBCUniversal's Rio Games coverage, "using technology partially developed and coordinated by its research and development center" in Sunnyvale, Calif. NEWSDAY goes with the header, "Brazil Can't Afford The Costs Of Hosting The Olympic Games."

The L.A. DAILY NEWS' Vincent Bonsignore pens multiple pieces on the implications of Las Vegas landing an NHL team: "NHL Is Vegas-Bound And The Raiders Might Follow Its Lead," "Sin City Is Now The In City." Meanwhile, in the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: "Before The Puck Drops In Las Vegas, Challenges Will Rise."

Also:

• Can a minor-league team thrive in a college sports market?
• Yard Goats fans try to support team with no home ballpark.
• Cavaliers draw heavily from Western Pennsylvania fan base.
• Former NFLer Jake Plummer looks to help players manage pain.
• Why Brexit could crate problems for British sports going forward.
• How Dan Hunt, Robert Casterline built football card collection.
• Ole Miss-Mississippi State football rivalry more toxic than ever.
• Victor Montagliani leads push to restore CONCACAF's image.

Interested to see if KD helps or hurts the overall likability factor of GSW. Does he make them more fun or make them unfair in public's eye?

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 4, 2016

For Nike, this is a coup: It wanted to slow UnderArmour's momentum with Steph Curry and Warriors. Now, KD promises to impact Curry's star.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 4, 2016

I've been humbled by M Harrison's request to induct him in HOF/ #18 has been very helpful in providing me keen insight,into #88's greatness!

— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) July 3, 2016

Jack Nicklaus loves his Wimbledon. Golden Bear due back in Royal Box for 2nd straight day. Sienna Miller & Darcey Bussell also on guest list

— Steve Wilson (@stevewilsonap) July 5, 2016

So the trained bald eagle flying around Dodger Stadium pregame just flew past its handler, out of the park and didn't come back #Murica

— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) July 5, 2016

This is how @MLB is celebrating the #FourthofJuly: https://t.co/a3GZDre5lF pic.twitter.com/kQ0Wi3ZKLk

— Cut4 (@Cut4) July 4, 2016

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

“This attraction was originally built for the New York World’s Fair in 1964, with proceeds going to UNICEF.”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” featured the category “NASCAR Technologies.”

For $200: “The tires used in NASCAR have another tire within them for safety reasons and are filled with this gas, symbol ‘N,’ because it contains less moisture than air and the tire pressure doesn’t change as much in a race.”
For $400: “The window net used to prevent injuries by keeping a driver’s arms inside the car during a crash became mandatory after this NASCAR legend known as ‘King Richard’ almost died in a 1970 wreck at Darlington.”
For $600: “Engines with carburetors ruled NASCAR for decades, but since 2012 all cars have been equipped with ‘EFI,’ electronic ‘this,’ because it’s more efficient and produces a better air/gas mixture.”
For $800: “‘Banking’ is the degree of incline of a racetrack’s surface which allows the cars to go faster in the turns with minimal lateral slippage. While Daytona has a 31% bank, Will Ferrell could tell you that this Alabama speedway is even steeper at 33%.”
For $1,000: “Also known as ‘the blade,’ this strip of metal on the rear deck lid is designed to create downforce on the rear of the car to increase traction, but it has to be angled just right so it doesn’t hinder speed on the straightaways.”

CBS’ Ian Eagle appeared on CBS’s “The Late Show” to provide play-by-play for the show’s inaugural 3-Legged Race. Eagle introduced the “competition” and noted he has “never, in all my career, enjoyed this many adult beverages before a job” (“The Late Show,” CBS, 7/1).

“What is ‘It’s a Small World?’”

Correct responses to the “NASCAR Technologies” category:

$200: “What is nitrogen?”
$400: “Who is Richard Petty?”
$600: “What is fuel injection?”
$800: “What is Talladega?”
$1000: “What is a spoiler?”