L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti "leads a 25-person contingent traveling" from L.A. to Rio this week "to promote their city's bid" for the '24 Games. The LA 2024 team "will spend much of its time at the Rio Games getting a backstage look" through the IOC's observer program and "grabbing face time with IOC voters and influential officials from the federations that govern each sport." With the bid committee "sending its entire staff to Brazil," Chair Casey Wasserman, CEO Gene Sykes and Vice Chair Janet Evans "will also be on hand" (L.A. TIMES, 8/1). Evans tweeted, "So fun to be flying to Rio at this very moment on a @United flight with what feels like every seat filled by @TeamUSA athletes! @LA2024."

The Packers last night held their annual Family Night event under the lights at Lambeau Field "before a crowd of 66,397." The special practice "concluded with a jersey giveaway for some fans and a fireworks display over the stadium." More than 75,000 tickets "had been distributed for the practice to make Family Night a sellout for the 10th time in the event's 16 years at Lambeau Field" (AP, 8/1).

Elsewhere throughout the league, a crowd of 18,276 showed up at Lincoln Financial Field yesterday for the Eagles' first open practice of training camp, a figure substantially less than the 43,000 that gathered "a little less than a year ago" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 8/1). The Patriots, practicing for the first time in full pads on Saturday, "drew 21,781 fans to their workout outside of Gillette Stadium." By comparison, the Dolphins "likely didn’t have 2,000 total" at theirs (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 7/30). The Texans held their first practice yesterday with 4,660 showing up to Methodist Training Center in Houston (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/1).

Today marked the debut of NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football,” and the net's Kay Adams said at the opening of the broadcast, “Happy to wake up with you every weekday morning from now on.” Analyst Nate Burleson: “I want to say ‘Good Morning Football’ to the viewers. ... My first very and definitely not my last ‘Good Morning Football’ goes out to you.” Adams added, “Good morning to the NFL fans who are bringing it across the nation” (“Good Morning Football,” NFL Network, 8/1).

NFL Net's Scott Hanson: “Think of your favorite morning show but a straight injection of pro football. ... It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be entertaining and when you go to bed at night after a ‘Monday Night Football’ game or a ‘Thursday Night Football’ game and you want the cutting-edge news, this is the show to turn to” (“Training Camp Primetime,” NFL Network, 8/1).

FanDuel today is unveiling "sweeping changes" in the form of a "player's Bill of Rights, targeting a new market, changing its look and moving away from solely focusing on the money that can be won." The Bill of Rights "promises fantasy players their money is protected, that they won't be playing against employees and offers a new feature that highlights experienced players, so those playing understand the skill level of those whom they are playing against, especially in head-to-head situations" (ESPN.com, 8/1).

Univ. of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh last night stood in front of hundreds of fans "crowding the festival setting" at The M Den, the school's official merchandise retailer, "awaiting the official beginning of the Nike Era at midnight." The marching band and dance team performed at the "four-hour 'Welcome Rally.'" A number of Michigan celebrities "spoke to the crowd" including Harbaugh, AD Warde Manuel and ESPN's Desmond Howard. Some fans "waited for hours to be among the first into the store to buy the coveted new Michigan Nike gear." Harbaugh said, "I’ve never seen anything like this. This is big time" (DETROIT NEWS, 8/1).

The AAC's preseason football media day takes place today in Newport, R.I., and a source said that the number of media requests to attend this year’s event "spiked after the Big 12 announced it would evaluate expansion candidates" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/1). AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco said of teams jockeying to join the Big 12, "It’s disappointing that it’s been so public, because that hasn’t served anyone very well" (USA TODAY, 8/1).

Constant rain "forced NASCAR to postpone" yesterday’s Pennsylvania 400 Sprint Cup race to today at Pocono Raceway. Efforts to dry the track "were interrupted about 2:30 by more showers." Weather permitting, today’s race will begin at 11:00am ET on NBCSN (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/1). The postponement "marked the first time in NASCAR Sprint Cup history that the same track had two races postponed in the same year" (Allentown MORNING CALL, 8/1).

Students in the Boston Public School system this year could be rolling out of bed to a "pre-recorded wake up call" from Red Sox DH David Ortiz. Superintendent Tommy Chang announced the service today, which "aims to fight chronic absenteeism." In teaming up with the Red Sox, the program "hopes to provide a jump-start for students’ mornings." The program "builds on an effort at the Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, which last year offered such calls to approximately 24 students" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/1).

With the Rio Games starting this week, the Morning Buzz offers a sample of Olympic stories and angles we're seeing:

N.Y. TIMES: While some athletes bail on Games, U.S. women's basketball players going "without fear or complaint." OKLAHOMAN: Why the Olympics remain "must-see TV." ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Despite well-documented problems, Rio residents beam with pride for their city. WASHINGTON POST: IOC benefits from "Olympic Movement" as many athletes remain poor. S.F. CHRONICLE: '96 Atlanta Games were a "watershed moment that forever changed the stature of women in sports." 

The Falcons' Duernberger will report to Mercedes-Benz Stadium GM Scott Jenkins

The Falcons have hired Dave Duernberger as Dir of Stadium Operations at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, their new $1.6B facility opening in '17. Duernberger most recently served as VP/Facility Operations at MetLife Stadium. He also worked at Lincoln Financial Field and Miller Park. Duernberger will report to Mercedes-Benz Stadium GM Scott Jenkins (Don Muret, Staff Writer).

There is reportedly a "verbal agreement" for Michael Irvin to remain an NFL Network analyst. His contract is "set to expire at the end of August" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/31).

The Double-A Texas League Frisco RoughRiders announced that they will host the league's All-Star game at Dr Pepper Ballpark on June 27 next year. The club is a Rangers affiliate (DALLASNEWS.com, 7/30).

A crowd of 13,520 attended last night's U.S.-Australia women's basketball exhibition at MSG, the U.S. team's "going-away party" prior to the Rio Games. The U.S. won the game 104-89 (HARTFORD COURANT, 8/1).

"That's BS. They want you taking those pills. I think they're in cahoots with Big Pharma" – Former NFLer Jim McMahon, on the NFL conspiring with big drug companies (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 7/31). 

"There are a lot of different factors that come into play. Mostly it’s family and the other half of that is your future in this game, your career. There are a lot of different things to take in, and whenever those things don’t line up, a decision has to be made that might be tough" – Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy, on vetoing a trade to the Indians (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/1).

“We’re trying to get back to a situation where we can build an überteam, and a sustainable one. So we’ll see where it takes us, but that’s the effort we’ve got going on here, and I think fans should be excited by that" – Yankees Senior VP & GM Brian Cashman, on the team becoming sellers at the trade deadline (N.Y. TIMES, 8/1).

“It’s great to be back here at The Forum. I have a lot of great memories of playing here” – Kobe Bryant, during his presentation of the first-ever “Teen Choice Decade Award” to Justin Timberlake (“Teen Choice 2016,” Fox, 7/31).

The Hampton Roads DAILY PRESS goes with the header, "Notre Dame Merits its Full Share Of ACC Network Revenue." Absent Notre Dame, "there might not well be an ACC Network." Its name was a "driving force in ESPN exploring the project."

Also:

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's DNC speech adds to his impressive accomplishments.
• Predators D P.K. Subban's philanthropic efforts aimed at children.
• In daughter's memory, Fred Biletnikoff offers hope to troubled teens.
• Wren Baker talks about taking the AD job at the Univ. of North Texas.

Is the Olympic track-and-field venue really named after disgraced FIFA president João Havelange—one of the most corrupt execs of all time?

— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) July 31, 2016

The Timberwolves have a great stable of senior execs now. Excited to see meaningful impact that will follow. https://t.co/WrBYcCj57p

— Randy Bernstein (@RandyPremier) August 1, 2016

Tom Coughlin starts his new job at the league office today. I trust everyone got to work a little earlier.

— Judy Battista (@judybattista) August 1, 2016

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com

The view that will greet golfers when they walk through the #Rio2016 Olympic golf course entrance pic.twitter.com/F6NaUaehZk

— Christina Macfarlane (@chrissymacCNN) July 29, 2016

Friday night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Colleges and University.”

“This Catholic University gets its name from the Latin for ‘new’ and ‘house’ and was in the news in spring 2016.”

HBO’s John Oliver said of three different state courts striking down three different attempts at voter suppression, a “triple victory for voting rights” according to one newscaster, “Yes, a Triple Crown victory and now as per Triple Crown tradition democracy will be drained of its seed and promptly shot.” Oliver, on the state of North Carolina attempting to enact voter restriction laws that disproportionately affected African-American voters using data collected: “I don’t know how you did it North Carolina, but I think you officially ‘Moneyballed’ racism.” Oliver said of the recent attempted military coup in Turkey, “Historically, Turkey is no stranger to violent military coups. This was their fourth in the last 60 years so at this point, they should really be hosting the the quadrennial ‘World Coup’ tournament, featuring unstable regimes from around the world organized, of course, by FIFA” (“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” HBO, 7/31).

“What is Villanova?”