• Penguins Parade/Rally Could Draw 500,000 To Downtown Pittsburgh
• Infantino Meets With Chinese President Amid World Cup Speculation
• LaVar Ball Signs Autograph Deal With Leaf; Cards To Be Sold On eBay
• NCAA, Omaha, CWS Adding To Fund For TD Ameritrade Ballpark

The Penguins' Stanley Cup championship parade begins today in downtown Pittsburgh, kicking off at 11:00am ET on Grant Street and "ending about 60 to 90 minutes later at Point State Park." Event planners "project combined attendance for the parade and a rally afterward could approach some 500,000." That "would mark Pittsburgh's biggest crowd – around 100,000 greater than the turnout for the Penguins' championship parade last June" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/14). National Weather Service meteorologist Rihaan Gangad said that there is a 30-40% "chance of rain during the parade." City Public Safety Dir Wendell Hissrich said that "heat is his biggest worry" (TRIBLIVE.com, 6/13). NHL Network will simulcast Pittsburgh-based WPXI-NBC's live parade coverage (THE DAILY).

Meanwhile, a number of Penguins players last night at PNC Park "hauled the Cup onto the field, where they were honored" prior to the Rockies-Pirates game. Penguins C Sidney Crosby threw out the first pitch, and many players "wore yellow authentic Shop412 Pirates jerseys with the Pittsburgh area code as the number" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/14).

Sidney Crosby threw out the first pitch (from the rubber!) tonight at the Pirates game and delivered a strike pic.twitter.com/AN40cJ12nj

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 13, 2017

China President Xi Jinping today met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Beijing "amid speculation that China could be planning to bid for a future World Cup." Infantino told Xi, an "avowed soccer fan," that FIFA "aimed to help fire up a 'new era of football, not only in China.'" The meeting comes as "indications are growing that China could bid to host" either the '30 or '34 World Cup under a "plan launched by Xi’s administration to obtain international soccer success" (AP, 6/14).

LaVar Ball has signed an autograph deal with Leaf Trading Cards, and the father of NBA Draft prospect G Lonzo Ball "signed 200 cards with his name and face on them." Leaf CEO Brian Gray said that the cards "will be sold" starting today at 1:00pm ET on eBay at a "fixed price of $59.95." Each card is "inscribed with one of Ball's sayings," but when a person clicks to buy a card, "he or she will not know which phrase it features." Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed (ESPN.com, 6/13).

The NCAA, city of Omaha and College World Series of Omaha Inc. are "allocating more money" toward keeping TD Ameritrade Park "state of the art." The groups "have agreed to put more money into a fund for upgrades and maintenance" at the $131M ballpark. The City Council yesterday "unanimously approved a new contract" involving the venue and the CWS, and the "other two entities have already signed off." The new agreement states that "annual payments into the fund "will grow from $500,000 to $800,000 this year and will eventually" reach $1.4M (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 6/14).

The L.A. Film Festival begins today, and a "half-dozen sports-related documentaries dot the roster" of the eight-day event. Among them is the "third installment of a piece by Mike Tollin" called "Morningside 5." Tollin started following the '92 Morningside High of Inglewood boys basketball team as it "tried to defend its state title," resulting in the '93 documentary "Hardwood Dreams." The new film "follows up" on the players' lives to date. Another "worth catching" is "The Classic," about East L.A. high school football rivals Garfield and Roosevelt (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 6/11). Also Kate Hickey's film "Roller Dreams" is about "roller skaters who tore up the Venice Beach boardwalk" in the '80s (BERKSHIRE EAGLE, 6/14).

The late-night talk shows went heavy on the Warriors' NBA Championship, highlighted by CBS’ James Corden interviewing Warriors F Kevin Durant via FaceTime. Durant: “I got a lot of champagne last night.” Corden: “Is this true: You hadn’t drunk for four months?” Durant confirmed it was true and said, “My first drink was pretty rough going down. I had a tough night.” Corden: “Is this an ongoing party?” Durant replied, “All summer.” Durant said the Warriors did not lose Game 4 on purpose to win the title at home: “We wanted to sweep them, we wanted to go 16-0. But when we lost we were like, ‘We’d rather win it on our home floor anyway.’” Corden: “I would have 100% thrown that game.” Durant: “We played like we did” (“The Late Late Show,” CBS, 6/13).

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel said after the deciding Game 5, "one of my least favorite things happened." Kimmel: "The Warriors celebrated by spraying 150 bottles of champagne on each other. This champagne is $1,200 a bottle, $180,000 worth of champagne. They're not even drinking it. They're spraying on each other. Why not just go to the top of the stadium and throw 100 Mac books off the roof?” Kimmel said of the team's postseason run, “It just goes to show you if you work hard, you believe in yourself and have every great player other than LeBron James on your team, you can accomplish anything” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 6/13).

TBS’ Conan O’Brien repeated the rumor circulating yesterday that the Warriors "unanimously decided to skip the traditional visit to the White House." O'Brien: "After hearing this, Melania Trump said, ‘Wait, you can do that?’"(“Conan,” TBS, 6/13).

NBC’s Jimmy Fallon: “I read that someone bought the most expensive seats in NBA history at last night’s game at $133,000. It seemed like a great idea until they found out the seats were behind Shaq” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 6/13).

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) is in stable condition after being shot in the hip during practice this morning for tomorrow’s congressional baseball game at Nationals Park (Mult., 6/14).

The SWAC will "end its annual football championship game after the upcoming season." The winner of the conference's regular-season title will now "go directly to the Celebration Bowl and play against the winner" of the MEAC. The SWAC's championship game "has been played since" '99 (AL.com, 6/13). 

The Indians will be "accepting donations of books at the gates" prior to today's game against the Dodgers at Progressive Field as "part of the United Way's Stuff the Bus campaign." Indians P Carlos Carrasco is "sponsoring his second annual book drive in partnership with Stuff the Bus" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/14). 

USA Hockey will hold a news conference later this morning in KeyBank Center with their world junior team wearing the "special sweater" that they will use "when they play Canada on Dec. 29 in New Era Field" as part of the '18 IIHF World Junior Championship tourney (BUFFALO NEWS, 6/14).

"If you were an MLS official and you watched any fan participation for the Predators, I can't believe you wouldn't think this is a place that would be as supportive of a soccer team" – Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, on the city's hope to land an MLS expansion franchise (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/13). 

“We are absolutely considering it. We’ve talked to lots of folks about it, we’ve talked to our concessionaire about it. We are considering it” – Purdue AD Mike Bobinski, on possibly expanding Ross-Ade Stadium's alcohol sales (JCONLINE.com, 6/13).

"The Chicago people are also really nice and I'm having a lot of fun here. I don't know how long I'll play in the MLS, but at least this season!" – Fire MF Bastian Schweinsteiger, who joined the club in March after a prolific career in Germany (ABC7CHICAGO.com, 6/13). 

“People were talking to me before the home run, and after the home run, they kept talking. I reacted that way, and stooped to their level" – Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig, admitting he flicked off Indians fans during last night's game (L.A. TIMES, 6/14). 

VICE SPORTS goes with the header, "New Senate Bill To End Federal Stadium Subsidies Won't End Stadium Welfare." The legislation proposed by U.S. Sens Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) is a "very good thing," but it is "hardly a silver bullet."

The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE goes with, "Still No 'Next Tiger' Emerging Among Golf's Young Guns." The "longer Tiger Woods is away from golf the more you appreciate his dominance. No one has risen to take over as the sport's can't-miss star."

Also: 

• Warriors have haters, but they are "what every team should hope to be."
• How the Cubs' marketing evolved away from "lovable losers" identity.
• How Bleacher Report keeps users "glued to its app" each day.
• Swedish billionaire Torbjorn Tornqvist bets big on America's Cup.

Watchin this Celtics/Lakers 30 for 30 -can only imagine speech Jerry West gave Durant to get him to Warriors through prism of his own career

— Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) June 14, 2017

Both of these teams, the Celtics AND the Lakers of the 80s had to be so much fun to watch.

……

Warriors in 4.

— Adam Amin (@adamamin) June 14, 2017

Changing of the guard! Between them, USC, Arizona State, Miami have won 20 CWS titles, but had no players in top 10 rounds of MLB draft

— Allan Simpson (@DraftGuyAllanS) June 14, 2017

Nice touch by @USGA, making Bob Jones Award winner Bob Ford honorary starter for all their events.

— Tim Rosaforte (@TimRosaforte) June 14, 2017

Stood on first tee at Erin Hills yesterday with Phil's caddie Bones.
"What's the carry to the fairway?"
"278-yards"
😲

— John Huggan (@johnhuggan) June 14, 2017

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

Gary Carter's three children get look at his wax statue at Grevin Montreal. Exhibit open June 14 until Sept 24 #Expos pic.twitter.com/4LlNEn4oWs

— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) June 13, 2017

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts will opens "David Ortiz: King of the Diamond." The exhibit will be up through Labor Day and will showcase the former MLBer's three World Series rings. 

Former NFLer Fred Jackson will be the guest speaker for the '17 Prep Talk Awards at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo Hotel & Conference Center.

The U.S. Postal Service debuts its "Have a Ball!" forever stamps, featuring baseball, basketball, football, golf, kickball, soccer, tennis and volleyball.

Arizona State "finally installed the massive videoboard" at Sun Devil Stadium, and it "measures at 47.24-feet high by 113.39-feet wide." The screen is “slightly larger than" the Univ. of Arizona's by "one foot in width and less than a foot in height." ASU "chose to beat its rival by just enough to let Arizona know that it was getting beat" (USATODAY.com, 6/13). 

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Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “16th Century Names.”

“In his 1557 almanac this French doctor predicted, ‘Immortal I shall be in life, and in death even more so.’”

TBS' Conan O’Brien: “It's being reported that in the 2016 elections, Russia interfered with voting systems in at least 39 states, which finally explains why the new governor of Wyoming is Anna Kournikova. … In Florida, a baseball stadium is celebrating Father's Day by handing out free pregnancy tests. It sounds like a good idea, except that the woman has to pee on a bobblehead. ... If it bobbles forward, it's a boy” (“Conan,” TBS, 6/13).

“Who was Nostradamus?”