Titans coach Mike Mularkey said that there have been "preliminary discussions about playing Sunday's game against the Dolphins in Nashville if Hurricane Matthew necessitates a change" (AP, 10/4). Miami's Hard Rock Stadium is scheduled to host "two major sporting events" this weekend: the Titans-Dolphins game and Saturday's Miami-Florida State football game. The stadium and its brand new shade canopy are "built to withstand the wind of a Category 4 storm" (MIAMI HERALD, 10/5).

Meanwhile, the Heat have "opted to take refuge in Houston to maintain their preseason practice schedule in light of the threat" of the storm. The team returned to South Florida from DC early Wednesday morning but were "told then that they would be leaving later in the day for Houston" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 10/5). The Lightning-Panthers NHL preseason game slated for tomorrow evening at BB&T Center "remains scheduled, for now" (AP, 10/4).

Several college football games could be affected. Georgia and South Carolina "more than likely" are going to "end up playing in the Georgia Dome" rather than at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, as originally scheduled (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 10/5). N.C. State is scheduled to host Notre Dame on Saturday, and while "no definitive decision has been made" about moving the game from Raleigh, NCSU and ACC officials are "monitoring the situation" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 10/5). UCF today will announce "whether it will reschedule" Friday night's home game against Tulane (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 10/5).

Orioles LF Hyun Soo Kim was "nearly hit in the head by a beer can while making a catch on a fly ball in the seventh inning" of last night's AL Wild Card game against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The incident "marred just the second extra-inning game in the two-team wild card era." The Blue Jays won 5-2 in 11 innings (USA TODAY, 10/5). A Blue Jays officials said that "security was reviewing video footage of the incident" (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/5).

During the Blue Jays' ALDS Game 5 home win over the Rangers last season, fans "threw water bottles, cans, rally towels and paper containers onto the field after a call was reversed" (Baltimore SUN, 10/5).

Tennis player Maria Sharapova appeared live in-studio on NBC’s “Today” this morning in the wake of her reduced suspension and said it was an “honest mistake” not knowing meldonium was a banned substance. Sharapova: “For an honest mistake, a two-year ban I don't think was correct. I had admitted my mistake.” NBC’s Matt Lauer said the Court of Arbitration for Sport “basically agree with you” as they “found no deliberate attempt to dope.” Lauer: “So why didn't they just release the suspension today?” Sharapova: “The least I could have received was one year based on the current rules, the ITF rule book. So I received 15 months because I didn't delegate the job to my agent well enough. I didn't check with him at the end of 2015 and make sure that he was checking that list. So that's what I got the three extra months for” (“Today,” NBC, 10/5).

The ACC's current schedule model for football – eight league games with every team required to play at least one Power Five non-conference contest (8+1) – "likely will prevail" as the conference's ADs convene in Chapel Hill today and tomorrow for their annual fall meetings. The ADs "spent much of the last three-plus months in fierce debate over two alternatives offered by ESPN, both designed to create more quality programming for the ACC Network" when it launches in '19.

In exchange for "financial incentives, ESPN asked for eight league games and two Power Five non-conference dates (8+2), or nine league games and one outside Power Five contest (9+1)." But sources said that the ADs during a conference call yesterday learned from ACC Commissioner John Swofford that while ESPN "prefers one of those formats, it will settle for 8+1" (Hampton Roads DAILY PRESS, 10/5).

Fanatics is launching a new product line called "RUN-CTY," produced in collaboration with hip-hop group RUN-DMC. Cities from multiple teams across several leagues will be stacked under RUN-DMC's all-caps RUN, in between the iconic thick red lines (i.e. RUN-CHI, RUN-CLE, RUN-OKC). The collection ranges from T-shirts to snapback hats. Fans can purchase gear beginning today at Fanatics.com and FansEdge.com, as well as NBAStore.com and the flagship NBA Store in N.Y. (Fanatics).

A group of team owners and reps today will gather at TD Garden, where the second iteration of "The Future of Sports" report, commissioned by Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs, "will be presented." It "largely aims at targets closer in time, often zeroing in on what's possible in the next four or five years." Delaware North, for which Jacobs serves as Chair, "invited owners and other team representatives from its partners, including NHL teams and teams from other sports leagues that use Delaware North as their concessionaire." About a dozen teams and 100 people have "said they'll be there" (USA TODAY, 10/5).

Pope Francis, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and IOC President Thomas Bach will formally open the inaugural Sport At The Service of Humanity global conference today at The Vatican. In front of more than 300 delegates and their guests at Paul VI Hall, the event also will include youth sports groups and young athletes. A number of international Olympic athletes will take part in the ceremony, which also will feature music and performances from pianist Lang Lang and soprano Carmen Giannattasio. After the Opening Ceremony, delegates will have a private tour of the Sistine Chapel, followed by a Gala Dinner at The Vatican Museum. The conference panels and discussions begin tomorrow.

NFL Giants President & CEO John Mara, NCAA President Mark Emmert and Bruin Sports Capital Founder George Pyne are among the 150 sports execs expected to be on hand. Read more details in this week's SportsBusiness Journal (THE DAILY).

The '16 NeuLion Sports Media & Technology Conference gets under way with a bang this morning in Manhattan Beach, Calif., as a featured interview Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer will open the event. Ballmer is slated to share his views on the sports media landscape and more. Other first-day highlights include an interview with Fox Sports' Eric Shanks and Jamie Horowitz on their efforts to grow FS1, a panel on private equity and venture capital in sports, insight on e-sports from Activision Blizzard Chair Steve Bornstein and a conversation with NFL Exec VP/Media Brian Rolapp. See the full agenda.

NCAA President Mark Emmert will address the Learfield Intercollegiate Athletics Forum on Dec. 7. For more information and to register for the Forum, visit www.IntercollegiateAthleticsForum.com.

A source said that the Tigers "agreed to exercise" their option to give manager Brad Ausmus a fourth year. An announcement is "expected soon, possibly as early" as today (DETROIT NEWS, 10/5).

The Devils and Prudential Center named Jeep brand the exclusive non-luxury vehicle of both the NHL club and the arena. Sponsorship activation will include extensive Jeep branding and experiences in and around the venue (Devils).

"Welcome to the opening night in this beautiful new area. I have a feeling we’re going to have some fun in here tonight" – Paul McCartney, during his performance last night, the inaugural event at Sacramento's Golden 1 Center (SACRAMENTO BEE, 10/5).

"My own view is that the spike is related to the way the game is being played now, the way that we are training hitters from a very young age. We have not been able to find any external cause that explains the spike in home runs" – MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, on an increase in home runs during the '16 season (N.Y. TIMES, 10/5).

"I have made a decision – you guys don’t like, I get it – I want the face of the organization to be [GM Sandy Alderson] and [manager Terry Collins]. I don’t want [co-Owner Jeff Wilpon] to be the face. And I don’t want to be the face" – Mets co-Owner Fred Wilpon, on not answering questions from the media ahead of his team's NL Wild Card game (NEWSDAY, 10/5).

"It's not my championship, I recognize that, but I also feel that I did something there, and I graciously accepted because it was a gracious offer on their part" – Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, on the organization offering him a championship ring despite being fired midway through the '15-16 season (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/5).

“Go down to six months. Enough. Get off Sharapova. The Tour needs her” – ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, on Maria Sharapova’s drug suspension being lowered to 15 months (“PTI,” ESPN, 10/4).

The OKLAHOMAN notes the Big 12's issues on and off the football field are "enough to make some believe" that Oklahoma and Texas will "scram at first light," when the conference's media contracts expire in '25. The irony is that OU and UT are "to blame for the Big 12's instability."

According to the WASHINGTON POST, EPL club Swansea City's hiring of Bob Bradley as the "first American manager" in the league has been "greeted with jubilation by the U.S soccer community but the coach himself faces a tricky task in stabilizing a club that is in danger of decline."

Also: 

• For years, the Cubs resisted playing the National Anthem pregame.
• The roots of Colin Kaepernick's "political awakening run deep."
• As the Chiefs vie for potential fans in St. Louis, the Blues tap into the K.C. market.
• Switzerland is a "welcome option" for baseball's unproven amateurs and aging vets.

Starting to get the impression that this will be college football weekend that never was. Have to believe resources can be better utilized.

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) October 5, 2016

All signs point towards Memphis Grizzlies wing Chandler Parsons signing a new shoe deal with Adidas, sources tell @TheVertical & @NiceKicks.

— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) October 5, 2016

- Jays fans throw beer.
- Leafs fans throw waffles.
- TFC fans throw seat cushions.
- And this year, Argos fans throw up their hands.

— SeanFitz_Gerald (@SeanFitz_Gerald) October 5, 2016

Dear Bud Selig, Remember how everyone was busting your chops over the creation of the Wild Card? This game rocked. Love, Baseball fans

— Maury Brown (@BizballMaury) October 5, 2016

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

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “In the Novel.”

“The first scene in this book: ‘With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene.’”

“What is ‘Fahrenheit 451?’”