• Fox Sports Names Wieden + Kennedy Its First Agency Of Record
• NHL All-Star Weekend Includes Women In Sports Business Panel
• Royals Paying Tribute To Late P Yordano Ventura At Two-Day FanFest
• Bankruptcy Auction Could Bring A Close To Scout Media Saga

Fox Sports has named Wieden + Kennedy, N.Y., its first-ever Agency of Record. The agency's N.Y. office, led by Managing Dir Neal Arthur, will lead efforts to elevate and expand Fox Sports' brand storytelling and ad campaigns. Wieden + Kennedy will develop creative activations across all of Fox' top sports properties and original programming, including FS1 studio shows, with a specific emphasis on coverage of the '18 FIFA World Cup. The agency has worked with ESPN since the mid-'90s (THE DAILY).

As part of the NHL’s All-Star Weekend in L.A., Touch by Alyssa Milano is presenting a women in sports business panel today. Panelists will include Milano, NHL Exec VP & CMO Heidi Browning, Ducks co-Owner Susan Samueli, LA 2024 Chief Strategy Officer Angela Ruggiero and L.A. Times columnist Helene Elliott. It will be moderated by NBCSN’s Kathryn Tappen, with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Kings President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille introducing the event.

In another event starting today as part of NHL All-Star Weekend, Honda, along with Time Inc.'s SI and Entertainment Weekly brands, will host a pop-up event called Stan Mikita's All-Star Cafe. Running through Sunday, it will feature a diverse sports and entertainment lineup, along with free coffee and donuts.

The Royals are "giving grieving fans a chance to remember" late P Yordano Ventura, who died in a car crash last weekend, at their FanFest, which begins today. A memorial to Ventura will be placed "just as fans enter Bartle Hall at the Convention Center." The area will have a "signature wall for fans to sign," a pitcher’s mound, a "framed Ventura game-worn jersey and video boards showing Ventura highlights." Both days of FanFest will "start with a moment of silence to honor Ventura." The FanFest memorial "will serve as the main tribute to Ventura" (K.C. STAR, 1/26).

Royals manager Ned Yost and 21 players are "expected to take part in FanFest" (K.C. STAR, 1/27).

An auction for the bankrupt Scout Media Inc. will be held today, perhaps ending what has been a tumultuous series of events for the N.Y.-based digital sports operation. Scout Media last month filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after three creditors pursued an involuntary filing. Scout Media Founder & CEO James Heckman was fired last summer, and a search for new investors for the company was not successful. CBS Sports, the parent company of 247Sports, earlier this month submitted a $9.5M stalking horse bid for the Scout Media assets. 247Sports Founder & CEO Shannon Terry this morning tweeted, “Seems like a good day to scout out some opportunities.”

Wake Forest Univ. today announced that alumnus and trustee Mit Shah has donated $5M toward a "basketball player development facility currently under construction." It will be called the Shah Basketball Complex (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/27). The Shah Complex project, Sutton Sports Performance Center and Miller Center hydrotherapy facility are all "expected to be completed in summer 2018." Shah, a Hawks investor, previously donated about $2.5M to the school for "investments in academic resources" (WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 1/27).

The April 29 Wladimir Klitschko-Anthony Joshua heavyweight bout at Wembley Stadium will draw the biggest British boxing crowd since '39, as a "deal has been struck to ensure 90,000 can attend the fight." Crowds are "usually capped at 80,000 for transport network capacity reasons." But London Mayor Sadiq Khan "facilitated an agreement between Network Rail and Transport for London to ensure more services" (BBC.com, 1/27).

NASCAR confirmed that teams in its top three series "will have less practice time this season." Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams will have "at least an hour less practice time at each track compared to last year." Cup teams also will have "one less day to practice" at Daytona Int'l Speedway ahead of the '17 Daytona 500. The schedules are "listed as tentative," but NASCAR "does not expect any major changes to them before those events" (NBCSPORTS.com, 1/26).

Verizon is "exploring a combination with Charter Communications that would unite two giants in search of growth in a rapidly consolidating media and telecom landscape." With such a move, Verizon would be "doubling down on its historical strength in distribution, as an owner of pipes that carry web traffic." That would take Verizon down a "different path from rivals" Comcast and AT&T, who have "bet big on combining content and distribution" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/27).

The Winter X Games in Aspen last night drew a "sparse, first-night crowd," with "temperatures dropping below zero" (DENVER POST, 1/27).

Lease-to-own retailer Aaron's will sponsor Premium Motorsports' No. 15 Toyota driven by Michael Waltrip in his "final NASCAR race," the '17 Daytona 500 (MOTORSPORT.com, 1/26). 

The Big3, the new three-on-three basketball league founded by entertainer Ice Cube, announced the signings of Basketball HOFers Clyde Drexler and Rick Barry, along with former NBAer Rick Mahorn, as coaches. Games begin on June 24 (Big3).

"He is not a friend of President Trump’s, and I don’t know why he would talk about him" – Christina Langer, the daughter of golfer Bernhard Langer, on Trump citing her father in an anecdote to demonstrate the existence of voter fraud (N.Y. TIMES, 1/27).

"The roads are terrible. Some young men don’t grow up and they don’t have the laws down here to constrain them. It’s very frustrating" – Former Yankees Dir of Int'l Player Development Pat McMahon, on the dangers MLB players face driving in the Dominican Republic during the offseason (N.Y. POST, 1/27).

"Oh, my God. I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in just coaching our team and getting our team better" – Browns coach Hue Jackson, on the possibility of the team appearing on HBO's "Hard Knocks" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 1/27).

"The turnout was unbelievable. It was pretty impressive to watch. That’s kind of the old-school days of Tiger Woods when he was dominating at his best" – Golfer Jason Day, on the crowd that came to see Woods at the PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open yesterday (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/27).

THE RINGER writes of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, at the Super Bowl: "In a way, New England playing below him as he holds court in a luxury box will be just another mark of his grim success." Meanwhile, THE MMQB notes the Patriots' "long-term success has been the opposite of spending big money." NFL agents weigh in on the "nightmare of trying to negotiate with a team that holds all the leverage."

ESPN.com notes the "biggest addition" to the NBA's new CBA is the "designated veteran provision." But "how favorable will designated veteran contracts truly be from a team standpoint? Could the new rule trap teams into big mistakes?"

Also:

• Bleacher Report looks to "redefine" NBA, MLB broadcasts for millenials.
• Ranking the 30 most powerful people on the talent end of sports media.
• Wayne Gretzky's "willingness to be an ambassador" helped grow U.S. hockey.
• Indiana's influx of TV, conference money crucial to "stay Big Ten competitive."
• Why two women's hockey stars "bypassed the NWHL to play for free."
• Deep down, Jerry Jones was "scared" to buy the Cowboys back in '89.
• Former MLBer Barry Zito has "launched a second career as a songwriter."
• Braves' Schuerholz reflects on "history of the game" ahead of HOF induction.
• New FAU coach Lane Kiffin hopes to turn the Owls into "a major draw."

Nadal-Federer final in Australia. Party like it's 2009.

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) January 27, 2017

Once again the popular vote didn't matter......

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) January 27, 2017

The NHL and NHLPA have hired a new arbitrator. L.A.-based Richard Chernick. At least 3 NHLPA claims re HRR filed in 2014 still unresolved.

— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) January 26, 2017

I’m watching the Pro Bowl Skills Challenge and genuinely enjoying it. Thus far this is better than both conference championship games.

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 27, 2017

I had guys in the Pro Bowl in contract negotiation years who would take one play in the Game to meet bonus/other provisions and done. Adios.

— Ralph Cindrich (@RalphCindrich) January 27, 2017

It makes sense to have a dental expo next to a hockey FanFair, right? #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/FsqnoeP8Dx

— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) January 27, 2017

Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman will serve as the keynote speaker for the Penn Sports Law Symposium. The event begins at 9:30am ET, with Ackerman's address scheduled for 1:00pm.

The city of Atlanta will hold a Falcons pep rally in the atrium of City Hall, featuring Mayor Kasim Reed, Falcons President Rich McKay and possibly coach Dan Quinn, beginning at 11:30am ET. 

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Matthew McConaughey’s new film “Gold” hits theaters today, and the Univ. of Texas alum had an interesting answer for how he got his comb-over hair look in the film. McConaughey: "I went to the hair lady, said, ‘It’s this guy’s hair,’ and handed her a picture of (West Virginia football coach) Dana Holgorsen" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 1/23).

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy” category was “20th Century Playwrights.”

“He said of his 1949 play and its main character, ‘I could write about failure only because I could deal with it…I knew how he felt.’”

Jackson said of playing and betting on golf with Michael Jordan, “Mike would try to bet amounts of money that made you uncomfortable, but it's kind of like, ‘Dude, we're all millionaires. I'm not nervous about that. So, let it go.’” Kimmel: “So then, it’ll be like 20 bucks? Or is it way more than 20 bucks? It’s not 20 bucks.” Jackson: “Way more than that.” Jackson said of his friendship with Magic Johnson, “I can be walking with him and they see him first, and it’s like, ‘Oh my god, Magic, Magic, we love you, Magic!’ And he's the friendliest, picture-takingest guy in the world. And they don't even notice me” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 1/26).

“Who is Arthur Miller?” Miller was speaking of the character Willy Loman in his play “Death of a Salesman.”