Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer was a guest on TBS’ “Conan" last night where he discussed his new ticket app Seat Bid. Ballmer said, “We think people ought to be able to get the seats they want when they want them. Not every seat in the arena, but we're going to put some seats up, sort of like eBay. Buy, sell, buy, sell; so you can auction off seats. We know then that the fan paid a price they wanted to pay, not too much, not too little, and we're going to get what we get. For Philadelphia, we know what we're going to get (Ballmer pinched his fingers noting a small amount). For Golden State, we dream about what we'll get (Ballmer stood up and spread his arms wide)."

Ballmer called the new app "the modern, new tech way to do things, auction everything off, but I’m putting two of my seats up for bid.” Host Conan O’Brien: “You have great seats.” Ballmer: “I have great seats. Two of mine, right on the floor for our game against the Hawks on February 15th, should be good. I hope I don't get some randos, but we will see” (“Conan,” TBS, 12/21).

The NFL this morning will announce it is reprising its Shark Tank-like technology competition at Super Bowl LI, this time in conjunction with the Texas Medical Center (TMC). The first competition the day before Super Bowl 50 awarded $50,000 each to three companies that won in a range of categories, including fan experience. This time, the categories are all tied to player and health safety -- coach to player communications; athlete training; and materials to protect players. Companies can now begin submitting proposals to the NFL, which is putting together a group of judges that will include former players, entrepreneurs and medical professionals to review as many as nine contestants.

The winners of the contest get the money, acceptance into TMC’s startup program, and two tickets to Super Bowl LI. 1st and Future, as the competition is known, will again occur the day before the Super Bowl on Feb. 4. The NFL held last year’s event at Stanford in conjunction with TechCrunch, a technology news service, which is not involved this time.

The IOC’s group evaluating cities bidding to host the ‘24 Olympic Games “will formally visit” L.A. in April. The IOC 2024 Evaluation Commission’s visit to L.A. on April 23-25 “will be the first of three stops by the group that will play a leading role in determining” whether L.A., Paris or Budapest hosts the ‘24 Games. The evaluation commission “will visit Budapest on May 10-12 followed by Paris on May 14-16.” Following the three visits, the evaluation commission “will publish a report in June on the three cities that will cover both documents the bid cities have submitted to the IOC and the on-site analysis” (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 12/21).

Organizers of the ’20 Tokyo Games “estimate the total cost” of hosting the Olympics will be between $13-$15B. The official cost estimate announced today was “below the promised” $17B cap. The operational cost is “expected to take up about half of the total budget.” The cost estimate includes $5.5B to “build permanent and temporary venues and other facilities,” and $3.8B for "‘soft’ costs such as transportation, security and other operational expenses.” It “takes into account” $4.7B of revenue from sponsorship, ticket sales, licensing and IOC contributions (AP, 12/21).

The NBA will “open an academy in Africa next year, its latest move to unearth talent” from outside the U.S. and “extend the league's reach into new territories.” The African academy “will be based in Thies, Senegal, and follows similar NBA projects opened this year in China, which has three academies, and Australia.” Another academy in India is “set to start operating in April.” The NBA “aims to open the Senegal academy, its sixth, in May.” NBA VP & Managing Dir for Africa Amadou Gallo Fall said that the new academy in Senegal will “focus on elite talent development” (AP, 12/21).

A U.S. Soccer spokesperson yesterday said that sanctioning decisions regarding NASL and USL will "take more time than originally planned." The governing body on Dec. 6 said that a decision on "whether or not the NASL and/or USL would receive Division 2 status was postponed seven to 10 days." The spokesperson said, "Discussions are still ongoing and will be through the end of the year." The spokesperson added there is "no specific reason" for the delay, and the sides are "still talking it through" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/21).

"Patriots Day," a film about the '13 Boston Marathon bombing starring Mark Wahlberg, opens today in a limited release. The N.Y. POST's Kyle Smith gives the film four stars and writes it is a "great American movie about the greatness of ordinary Americans." It "combines an electrifying manhunt" with "intimacy and feel for character" (NYPOST.com, 12/20). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Joe Moergenstern writes, "The hurtling action, speaking louder than any dialogue, gives a stirring sense of the suffering and heroism that flowed from the terror at the Boylston Street finish line." The best thing about the film is that it "bespeaks cherished values without framing them as messages" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/21).

The BOSTON GLOBE's Ty Burr gives the film two stars and writes it is "neither great nor gawdawful." It is "professionally made, slickly heartfelt, and is offered up as an act of civic healing." Burr: "At best, it’s unnecessary. At worst, it’s vaguely insulting." He added that the only moment during the film he felt himself "tearing up over" was the "real-life footage of bombing survivors and first responders at the end" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/21).

Exec Editor Abe Madkour and Staff Writer John Ourand look at the year that was in sports media and the year ahead, tracking the trends that matter in the marketplace. Listen below or at Soundcloud.com.

North Carolina lawmakers today "could repeal" HB2, the state's "so-called 'bathroom bill.'" This could end a "nearly year-long legal, cultural and economic battle" that has seen several sporting events withdraw from the state (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/21).

Waste Management Phoenix Open Tournament Chair Andy Markham said that “500 green-side bleacher seats have been added” to TPC Scottsdale's par-3 16th hole, “putting capacity for the tournament at just over 16,000” (AZCENTRAL.com, 12/20).

Arch Insurance Senior VP & General Counsel Patrick Nails, whose firm is developing Dunkin' Donuts Park, said that the ballpark is "on target to open" April 13 for the Double-A Eastern League Hartford Yard Goats' inaugural home opener (HARTFORD COURANT, 12/21).

Harris County (Texas) commissioners yesterday "chose Kirksey Architecture to design a project to retrofit the Astrodome by raising its floor and installing parking spaces underneath" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/21).

Less than a week "after ground was broke on the project, Martinsville Speedway has successfully installed its first LED light." The pole installed yesterday "is the first of 14" that will illuminate the track (NBCSPORTS.com, 12/20).

The NBA D-League Raptors 905 broke the league's single-game attendance record with 15,011 in Air Canada Centre yesterday against the Grand Rapids Drive. The previous record was held by the OKC Blue with 12,727 at Chesapeake Energy Arena (NBA).

ESPN is airing a special edition of "The Jump" today in which the net will exclusively unveil the nominees for the Pro Basketball HOF (THE DAILY).

"It’s never money for me but it’s cool a lot of money is being thrown around this league" – Knicks F Kristaps Porzingis, on the salary increases as a result of the new NBA CBA (N.Y. POST, 12/21).

"It’s a very emotional game. It’s just like soccer or basketball" – Professional e-sports competitor Saahil Arora, on the "Dota 2" video game (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/21).

"I thought it was nice that he did that, although I couldn't read it myself because he's already had me blocked on Twitter" – ESPN Radio 710 Seattle's Jim Moore, on Seahawks CB Richard Sherman's apology for threatening to revoke Moore's media credential (ESPN.com, 12/20).

"We’re sitting on the bus waiting to go to the airport and then things start popping up on social media. That’s how we found out. So, it was very surprising" – Jaguars LB Paul Posluszny, on the team's firing of coach Gus Bradley following Sunday's game against the Texans (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 12/21).

The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE writes the Univ. of Minnesota football team's boycott of team activities last week over the school's handling of sexual misconduct allegations might not have been necessary "had other means of recourse been available." One such would be a "labor union representing the interests of the players." If a union existed, school officials "would not have been able to take such precipitous action."

The GLOBE & MAIL writes the "scrutiny, the climate, the taxes and the shrinking dollar were all cited as reasons why it was harder for Canadian teams to compete" for high-end NHL players "and, by extension, for championships." But Milan Lucic's decision to sign with the Oilers this past offseason is an example of how "other priorities factor into a decision to sign with a Canadian team."

Also: 

• How much of an economic impact will the CFP title game have on Tampa Bay?
• Baseball's attempts to speed up the game have been "too modest and ineffective."
• ESPN FC writers debate whether a 48-team World Cup is a good or bad idea.
• Assisting in the Devils' big summer trade "was a thrill" for data expert Sai Okabayashi.
• CBS to share stories of elite and non-elite competitors in Tough Mudder coverage.

In three-plus years covering Nike, that was probably CEO Mark Parker's most expansive commentary to start a conference call.

— Matthew Kish (@matthewkish) December 20, 2016

I appreciate the role the media plays and they have a tough job. I let it get personal today and I regret that. Next one should be fun

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) December 21, 2016

Pretty sure the Chargers cheerleaders don't think the elite staffer video is as funny as so many others seem to think it is today.

— Abby Hamblin (@abbyhamblin) December 20, 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 “2016 U.S. Olympians.”
“If this U.S. state was a country, it would have been in the top 10 in gold medals with 14 – nine of them by one man and one woman.”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” featured the category “Sports No-Nos.”
$200: “Mike Tyson, claiming he was fouled before biting off part of this boxer’s ear: ‘I have to retaliate’; not like that, Mike!”
$400: “In football, this is the signal for a false start. In basketball, it's the signal for this violation.”
$600: “Etiquette from a leading association for this activity includes ‘never’ do it ‘in street shoes.’”
$800: “In the NHL, this penalty isn’t for using a credit card, it’s called on a player ‘who skates or jumps into ... an opponent.”
$1000: “Zinedine Zidane headbutted his way out of the 2006 World Cup as this country of his fell to Italy.”

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel said, “Google released their list of the most searched phrases of 2016 today. The top trending search terms were powerball, Prince, Hurricane Matthew and Pokémon Go, which I think sums our priorities as Americans up. Money, celebrities, the weather and playing games on our phones. As I’m going through this list, I feel like 2016 was the longest year ever. Doesn't it feel like Pokémon Go happened in 1998 or something? Trump was the eighth most trending search, the election was ninth, Hillary Clinton was tenth. The least-searched phrase on Google for 2016? L.A. Rams tickets” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 12/21).

TBS' Conan O’Brien asked Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer about the Clippers new mascot Chuck the Condor: “How do you feel Chuck is doing? Because you're an energetic guy and I would think you would want a very energetic mascot. How’s Chuck the Condor working out for you?” Ballmer: “Chuck's off to a good start. Now the high bar, excellence of excellence is the Coyote in San Antonio. When the Coyote says, ‘Yell,’ people yell. When the Coyote says ‘Cheer,’ they cheer.” O’Brien said, “Maybe they're doing it out of fear, maybe it's not like a fun thing.” Ballmer: “I don't care why. I just want it noisy in the darn building.” Ballmer said of dunking a basketball on the night they unveiled Chuck the Condor, “Some of the folks on the Clippers staff, we were getting ready to launch Chuck and we needed Chuck to get some attention. We gave out 19,000 pairs of Chuck Taylors, but it just didn't seem enough to launch our mascot. (A staffer) said, ‘Why don't you try to dunk the ball?’ And I said, ‘Okay. I'm afraid of trampolines.’ (The staffer) talked me into it, and then finally I said, ‘I believe I can fly! I believe I can touch the sky!’” ("Conan," TBS, 12/21).

“What is Maryland?”

Correct responses to the “Sports No-Nos” category:
$200: “Who is Evander Holyfield?”
$400: “What is traveling?”
$600: “What is bowling?”
$800: “What is charging?”
$1000: “What is France?”