Tim Leiweke’s Oak View Group has purchased Venues Today, an acquisition that includes the trade magazine, its website and an e-newsletter. Financial details were not disclosed, but Venues Today investors Ken Young, an Exec Vice Chair with Spectra, and Mike McGee, a longtime sports and entertainment exec, were bought out in the transaction, Leiweke said. Peter Luukko, Sunrise Sports & Entertainment Exec Chair, was also an investor in Venues Today. Luukko has since become an Oak View Group partner and he was on the buyer’s side of the deal, Leiweke said.

In addition, Oak View Group has hired Ray Waddell as Senior VP/Media & Conferences, and he will play a key role for what is expected to be a total revamp of Venues Today, sources said. Waddell was most recently at Billboard as a reporter covering the concert tour industry, as well as producing conferences.

Pro Football HOFer Ronnie Lott, who is leading a development group for a new stadium in Oakland, writes an op-ed in today's EAST BAY TIMES under the header, "Why Keeping Raiders Is Vital To Oakland And Bay Area." He writes, "Oakland and the Raiders are synonymous with each other -- a compound word. That said, while the Raiders may be publicly loved, they are privately owned. We can’t make the Raiders stay. Instead, we must show them why they should stay." He adds that his group has partnered with Fortress Investment Group, which has the "capital and the experience" to execute the stadium project. He continues, "We understand the dissatisfaction involved with the last deal and the impacts it has had. That will not be repeated. ... We do not underestimate the challenges we have in front of us" (EAST BAY TIMES, 12/23).

A lawsuit filed yesterday in Wayne County (Mich.) Circuit Court "seeks to tear up a preliminary agreement" to bring the Pistons downtown, "claiming members of the public body that approved it violated the state's Open Meetings Act when they met privately to discuss the deal right before a public vote." The suit filed by local activist Robert Davis states that all five members of the Detroit Downtown Development Authority's finance committee "met privately for four hours on Nov. 22 to comb over the Pistons deal." Later that day, after the finance committee's discussions, the DDA's full board "approved the deal during a half-hour public meeting" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 12/23).

Meanwhile, Idaho in '18 will move from the FBS to the second-tier FCS, and Idaho QB Matt Linehan following last night's win said, "We belong in the FBS, period. ... We know we can compete. We know we belong here, no matter what everyone thinks, even our tone-deaf president. Maybe he doesn’t think we belong here, but I think we belong here." Linehan later "apologized repeatedly" to Idaho President Chuck Staben during the postgame presser (IDAHO STATESMAN, 12/23).

Donald Trump today is "scheduled to play golf with Tiger Woods" at Trump Int'l Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to a source (GOLFDIGEST.com, 12/22).

The CBS/Lionsgate film "Patriots Day" on Wednesday "posted the best theater average," with $9,200, or a total of $64,000 for a "limited release" at seven sites in N.Y., L.A. and Boston. Industry analysts expect the movie to get a per-theater figure of $75,000 over its first six days (DEADLINE.com, 12/22).

With the Cowboys locking up the NFC East with the Giants' loss last night, Academy Sports + Outdoors reopened its Dallas-area stores to "sell Cowboys championship gear" after the game (DALLASNEWS.com, 12/22).

New Jersey-based Tom Maoli's Celebrity Motor Car dealerships has signed up Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. as a spokesperson (Maoli's Celebrity Motor Car).

Pantene in today's edition of USA TODAY runs a print ad featuring UFC fighter Ronda Rousey with the tagline, "Don't Hate Me Because I'm Strong. Strong Is Beautiful" (THE DAILY).

"That’s really good what the owners did. Now we’ve got to do our part. It’s a lot easier for 30 owners to get together than it is for 420 players. So we just have to figure that part out"  -- Clippers G and NBPA President Chris Paul, on owners ratifying the new CBA (L.A. TIMES, 12/23).

"We should have a little bit of leeway. We should be able to have a little more fun. I think it's entertainment to the fans. I think they're taking a little bit of the fun out of this pro game" -- Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, proposing that the NFL loosen its rules on respectful TD celebrations (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 12/23).

"Many of the players are prepared to go all the way in. When we're supposed to have a new CBA by Jan. 1, now is the time you can be scared -- you can be scared of going on strike, you can be scared of losing employment and a paycheck. ... I also know fear is what has held many movements back" -- Suspended USWNT G Hope Solo, on negotiations with U.S. Soccer for a new CBA (AP, 12/22).

The GLOBE & MAIL reviewed the atmosphere at a recent Raptors home game, noting the "racket rarely diminished over the 2 1/2 hours it took for the actual game to be played." Air Canada Centre is "loud, over the top and definitely not for the faint of heart." And the Toronto basketball fans, a "younger and more ethnically diverse gathering than what you usually see at a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game, obviously lap it up." Meanwhile, the Raptors' parent company, MLSE, is "being accused of discriminating against female employees on maternity leave."

Craig Sager Jr. pens a piece for SI.com remembering his late father, writing the longtime TNT NBA sideline reporter had an "unselfish reflex he flashed throughout his battle" with cancer. The elder Sager "never wanted anyone worrying about him, and would take it personally if he felt like it was holding someone else back."

Also: 

• DC Councilman feels a new RFK Stadium would be win-win for Redskins, city.
• While top fighters can get paid well, many UFC fighters struggle to make ends meet.
• North Carolina is isolating itself from the sports world with discriminating law.
• New York Historical Society exhibits explore Muhammad Ali as an artistic subject.

I know DAMN well they didn't throw a flag on that but not Cam's play. NFL and D. Blandino is full of bulljive

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) December 23, 2016

Hearing word of a very professional, large-scale, non-NFL spring league aiming for 2018 kickoff. Sounds intriguing. Some ex-NFLers involved

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) December 23, 2016

FIFA accepts that 32 teams (1 of the 5 options on table) produces the best football, but projects 20% revenue rise from 48 in 16x3 groups

— Graham Dunbar (@gdunbarap) December 23, 2016

Ah, social media. Where no one checks facts. We have an entire @NFL PR team you guys can call before reporting #fakenews

— Natalie Ravitz (@NFLNatalie) December 22, 2016

And what you can say about this ageless grand old man @68Jagr ...1.888pts. 2nd of all time on NHL for points. Amazing career 👏👏huge RESPECT!

— Teemu Selanne (@TeemuSel8nne) December 23, 2016

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy” category was “Literary Inspirations.”

"Seen here, the white city building for Chicago’s 1893 Columbian Exposition is said to have inspired this author who then lived near it."

NBC’s Jimmy Fallon said, “The Staples Center in Los Angeles is going to build a nine-foot tall, 1,200-pound statue of Shaquille O’Neal, or as Shaq will call him, ‘Mini-Me’” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 12/23).

"Who is L. Frank Baum?"