Tiger Woods this morning officially announced a multiyear deal to play TaylorMade woods, irons and wedges. Woods in December signed a multiyear deal with Bridgestone to play the company's golf balls. Financial terms of the TaylorMade deal were not available. Woods will debut the clubs at today's pro-am at the Farmers Insurance Open. Woods is paired with Dustin Johnson and Jason Day tomorrow and Friday, both TaylorMade staff players (THE DAILY).

Golf Channel’s Cara Robinson said, "No matter what brand Tiger Woods chooses to endorse, it is going to benefit them hugely." Golf Channel’s Damon Hack: “Think about who TaylorMade has in its stable, now: Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, the Olympic Gold Medalist in Justin Rose, you have Sergio Garcia, a winner on the PGA Tour last year. They are deep, they are global, and that is huge, huge news for a company that there’s a lot of question marks going forward in 2017” (“Morning Drive,” Golf Channel, 1/25).

The Celtics this morning are expected to announce that they have signed a jersey patch deal with GE, a source said. The team will become the third in the NBA to sell the 2.5-by-2.5-inch jersey patch, joining the 76ers with StubHub and the Kings with Blue Diamond. Typically, the jersey patch deals are three-year agreements, with both the 76ers and Kings deals worth around $5M annually. The Celtics would not confirm the deal. GE is a new partner for the club.

The NBA this season began allowing teams to sell jersey patch advertising, becoming the first of the big four U.S. stick-and-ball leagues to allow uniform branding outside of apparel suppliers. NBA rules call for jersey patch revenue to be split equally between the league and team, with the length of the deals limited to three years as the league tests the program.

The last major outstanding piece of LA 2024's bid could fall into place today, with the City Council expected to approve an expansive contract with the IOC and guarantee the Olympics budget in the event L.A. is awarded Games. Support from the council will be “overwhelming," council member Paul Krekorian said, another demonstration of the unusual popularity of the bid in Southern California. LA 2024 has asked supporters to attend the council hearing, and is also planning a media event after the vote at Grand Park. Krekorian: “I would be expecting a celebration, actually, more than a controversy.”

Among the various public commitments, the most controversial are the host city contract and the taxpayer-backed financial backstop, but council members have said they believe the risk is low. Also, owners of certain hotels must promise availability and rates for '24, and various traffic/transportation authorities must promise they will reserve one lane on key highways for Olympic officials. The IOC will vote on the '24 host on Sept. 13.

St. Louis County's Department of Planning tonight will hold an "informational public hearing" on the Blues' planned $35M practice facility in Maryland Heights. The site, which is "not developed, is currently owned" by the county and has an appraised value of nearly $1M. The Blues now practice at the iceZONE within the "struggling St. Louis Outlet Mall." The new facility is "part of the Blues' Hockey STL 2020 program, an initiative aimed at growing the game" by 70% in the region by '20 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/24). The plan "received the approval of the County Council last year" (STLTODAY.com, 1/24).

The Ringer hired Mike Lombardi to an exclusive deal that will see the NFL analyst contribute podcasts, video essays and studio show appearances for the digital media company. Lombardi, a former team exec, was a weekly guest on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” during this NFL season and also worked as an NFL analyst on FS1. In a prepared statement, The Ringer CEO Bill Simmons called Lombardi one of his most popular podcast regulars. “This was a natural evolution for him and for us,” Simmons said. “With talented people like Kevin Clark, Robert Mays, Danny Kelly and now Mike all leading the way, we know our multi-media NFL coverage will be as good as anything out there.”

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and the state's Transit Administration today will unveil "five buses featuring pictures" of Ravens QB Joe Flacco. The Maryland-flag-colored buses will include "in-game photos of Flacco and Ravens logos, with the slogan 'Linking You to the places that Matter Most.'" Flacco will "receive $45,000 for the one-year use of his image." The contract also includes radio and TV spots. The Ravens also are being "compensated for the use of the team's logo, helmet and jersey under a separate, multi-year partnership with the MTA" (Baltimore SUN, 1/25).

San Jose State Univ. last night inaugurated its Institute for the Study of Sport, Society & Social Change, and the event provided a "window into how much athlete activism has changed." Participants included sports legends Jim Brown, Tommie Smith and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as well as a newer generation of outspoken athletes in Anquan Boldin, Takeo Spikes and Chris Webber (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 1/25). 49ers CEO Jed York was in attendance, "although not involved in any panels." York supports the institute and the "concept of using sports for social change" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/25).

The Golden Knights yesterday "revved up the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce Preview crowd ... with a vision of the team’s players hoisting the Stanley Cup before a frenzied T-Mobile Arena crowd." Team Owner Bill Foley "made a surprise appearance onstage to announce the team joining the chamber." The team’s trade-show booth at Thomas & Mack Center was a "center of activity all morning" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 1/25).

The USL Rochester Rhinos' home venue is now Capelli Sport Stadium, its "fourth name in 12 years," following a naming-rights deal with the "apparel, fashion and accessory business." It was previously called Sahlen's Stadium under the most recent naming-rights deal from '10-15 (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 1/25).

The NFL Foundation yesterday "presented a $75,000 grant to LIFT Orlando to fund" a multipurpose community athletics field at Lake Lorna Doone Park as part of the NFL Play 60 initiative. Several former players were on hand, as was Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/25).

The Univ. of North Dakota has "verbally agreed to join the Summit League" in the fall of '18 for "all of its athletic programs outside of football and hockey" (GRAND FORKS HERALD, 1/25).

Wellness lifestyle company Philip Stein has reached an endorsement deal with U.S. triple jumper Christian Taylor (Philip Stein).

"It's another Coach Harbaugh antic. That's what he loves to do. That's his personality. If he can do anything to make himself – the brand, I guess – more proven than anybody, then he's going to do that" – NFL draft prospect Jourdan Lewis, a former Michigan CB, on coach Jim Harbaugh taking his team to Italy this spring (MLIVE.com, 1/24).

"The conference tries to screw us every way they can" – Georgia Tech football coach Paul Johnson, on the release of the ACC's '17 schedule, which has Tech facing opponents with an open date before playing them three times (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 1/25).

"That’s not even a consideration. There’s no looking back. We’re moving forward" – Chargers Chair Dean Spanos, on the possibility that the team could move back to San Diego (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 1/25).

"After this, maybe we should go to the Senate gym so I can give Triple H some triple help in getting back in shape" – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), to former WWE CEO Linda McMahon during her confirmation hearing to serve as the leader of the Small Business Administration (WASHINGTON POST, 1/25).

"I called him and asked him (why) straight out, and when I hung up, it was probably less clear than before I picked (the phone) up" – NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth, on driver Carl Edwards' decision to retire at age 37 (AP, 1/24).

Following the death of Royals P Yordano Ventura, the WASHINGTON POST goes with the header, "MLB Tries To Keep Young Dominicans From Dying Behind The Wheel. It's Not Working." The Dominican Republic is "known to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world in which to drive." ESPN.com goes with ,"MLB Mourns, Feels 'Powerless' In Face Of Continuing Tragedy."

Basketball HOFer Lenny Wilkens pens a special to the SEATTLE TIMES under the header, "Whether At Key Or SoDo, Together, Let's Bring Back Our Sonics." Wilkens: "It is time we collaborate to focus on bringing our team back home. Let’s get behind those working hard to make this a reality."

In a special to new golf outlet MORNINGREAD.com, former PGA of America President Ted Bishop writes moving the PGA Championship to May "would be a great move" for new PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, but a "bad one" for PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua.

Also: 

• Providing "smooth mobility" for Winter X Games fans is no small task.
• Triplets, once child actors, now play hockey at Bemidji State.
• Why Tom Brady's friendship with Donald Trump is of public interest.
• Crews hard at work getting NRG Stadium ready for Super Bowl LI.
• Patriots have never ranked as NFL's most highly valued franchise.
• How Bernie Ecclestone built F1 into a "global sporting business."
• Magic's rebuilding plan has not worked, but fans should "hang in there."
• Lions RB Zach Zenner works on medical research in offseason.

Big fan of the segmented races. I am getting older and now I have 2 guarenteed times I can get up to go pee. 😎

— Cole Pearn (@colepearn) January 25, 2017

Look, @DaleJr is as big a traditionalist as you can get, and he understands that "10 years ago" isn't always better. https://t.co/5KbZjZ3w5S

— scott_fowler (@scott_fowler) January 24, 2017

NFLPA's marijuana proposal deals with recreational use. The union separately is studying marijuana use as potential pain management tool.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) January 25, 2017

I don't wanna jinx it but Roger v. Rafa Roger v. Rafa Roger v. Rafa is very much in play for Aussie Final IT'S ALL HAPPENING TENNIS PEOPLE!!

— Jason Gay (@jasongay) January 25, 2017

Martinsville Speedway will test its new LED lighting system.

Baltimore's new AFL team will unveil its name and uniform.

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Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Medals & Decorations.”

“Her husband won in 1927; in 1934 she was the first woman to win the National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Medal for exploration.”

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel: “The New England Patriots beat the Steelers on Sunday. They're going to the Super Bowl. The Steelers were overmatched in the game and this might have had something to do with that. At around 3:40am the morning of the game a guy pulled the fire alarm at the hotel where the Steelers were staying and was arrested.” The show aired news footage of the man in court, with the reporter noting when he was arrested, the man told police, “I’m drunk, I’m stupid, I’m a Pats fan.” Kimmel: “Somebody needs to put that on a T-shirt. He probably could have just said one of those things and we would have guessed the other two” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 1/24).

Last night’s edition of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” featured a segment called “Behind the Lyrics.” Host Jimmy Fallon said the show “reached out to some of my favorite musicians and asked them to tell us the true meaning behind some of their biggest hits.” Singer Chris Stapleton said his song “Traveller” is about “seeing life through the eyes of an NBA referee. They’re used to this stuff all day long. This one’s for you, guys. Oh, and for the people that work at Foot Locker” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 1/24).

“Who was Anne Morrow Lindbergh?”

Contestant Loren Lee Chen, a co-host of the “On The NBA Beat” podcast, won the episode with $19,899, despite incorrectly answering “Final Jeopardy!”