• USOC Officials Challenge IOC To Do More On Corruption, Doping
• U.S. Soccer's Gulati Meeting With Media After Qualifying Failure
• Cubs Eliminate Nationals In Longest-Ever Nine-Inning Playoff Game
• Court Ruling Clears Way For Ezekiel Elliott's Six-Game Suspension

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Today: An original WNBA franchise looks like it is on the move again, and the Border War could be rehashed for a good cause.

USOC Chair Larry Probst and CEO Scott Blackmun yesterday demanded the IOC move aggressively against corrupt members and doping athletes. Probst led off back-to-back speeches to the group’s annual assembly by calling for a house-cleaning of dirty IOC members. "It is not our job to enrich ourselves, financially or through illicit power grabs," Probst said. "The fact is, some have clearly acted in ways that are antithetical to the ideals we seek to advance, and it has been tolerated for too long." Probst praised the IOC’s decision one week ago to suspend Brazilian Olympic Committee President Carlos Nuzman after his arrest on bribery and vote-buying charges relating to Rio’s winning bid for the '16 Games.

The U.S. Soccer BOD reportedly held an "emergency" conference call last night ahead of President Sunil Gulati's "call w/media" scheduled for today (TWITTER.com, 10/12). Gulati's address is expected to include comments on USMNT coach Bruce Arena's future and the "program at large" after the team failed to make the '18 FIFA World Cup. Arena yesterday said that he "will 'do whatever is right' in terms of his coaching future," adding that he "has yet to discuss the matter at length" with USSF officials. Arena said he has "no interest in going on a four-year cycle right now" to the '22 World Cup (WASHINGTON POST, 10/13).

The Cubs defeated the Nationals 9-8 last night in NLDS Game 5 at Nationals Park, advancing to the NLCS via the "longest nine-inning game in playoff history" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/13). The contest "lasted 4 hours, 37 minutes" and ended at 12:45am ET (USA TODAY, 10/13). The playoff field is now set for the LCS: Yankees, Astros, Dodgers and Cubs. This means that for the "first time ever, the four most-populated U.S. cities" -- N.Y., L.A., Chicago and Houston -- are "represented" in the ALCS and NLCS (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/13).

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans yesterday lifted an injunction that "blocked a six-game suspension" for Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, "clearing the way" for the suspension to be enforced. The judges voted 2-1 to "grant the NFL's emergency request and ordered the U.S. Eastern District of Texas Court in Sherman to dismiss Elliott's case." Elliott is "expected to take his case to the Southern District of New York, which is viewed as a more favorable court for the NFL." The league "won its Deflate-gate case against Tom Brady in that court." Elliott will have to "get another injunction in New York in order to keep playing this season." He is "eligible to return to the team" Nov. 24 (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 10/13).

Cal is "closely tracking the air quality in Berkeley" ahead of tonight's scheduled home football game against Washington State amid wildfires in Northern California. The NCAA has "parameters for competition in dangerous air." This includes, "All athletes should be removed from outdoor practice or competition at AQIs of 200 or above." The air quality in Berkeley on Wednesday was 187. A Cal spokesperson "wasn't sure when a final decision to play or cancel would be required." Meanwhile, a Stanford spokesperson said that the school "expects its matchup against Oregon to be played as scheduled Saturday night" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 10/13).

In the NFL, the Chargers are "sure they'll play the Raiders on Sunday," but the NFL is monitoring the situation and there is a "possibility the game could be relocated" from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Playing in Oakland "still seems like the most realistic option despite conditions that had some Raiders players wearing masks over their mouths" during yesterday's practice. The teams "can’t swap home games because the Galaxy have a match scheduled for Sunday at StubHub Center." Also, they "can’t play on Monday night because the Raiders are already scheduled for a short week" playing the Chiefs on Thursday (L.A. TIMES, 10/13).

Four months after acquiring Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon owner Competitor Group, World Triathlon Corp. has sold the company’s media division to Colorado-based Pocket Ventures, sources said. The sale includes Competitor Running, which is ceasing publication, sources and an employee said. The division’s other magazine titles -- Women’s Running, Triathlete and VeloNews -- are expected to survive. But the future of book publisher VeloPress is unclear.

Pocket Ventures is led by former Competitor Group Dir of Business Development Felix Magowan, who owned VeloNews and VeloPress once before. They were part of Inside Communications Inc., which Magowan sold in '08 to then-Competitor Group owner Falconhead Capital. Competitor Running Senior Editor Mario Fraioli tweeted, “Sad to learn that @RunCompetitor mag/.com is getting squashed.” Efforts to reach Pocket Ventures and WTC officials were unsuccessful.

The NBA and Oculus today will release a new documentary in VR based on the '17 Finals. “Strength In Numbers,” produced by N.Y.-based production company M ss ng P eces, chronicles the third straight matchup between the Warriors and Cavaliers, and follows up on a similar effort last year in the enhanced format. “Follow My Lead: The Story Of The 2016 Finals” won an Emmy. “When we released ‘Follow My Lead,’ the response was almost universally that we’d given the fans a perspective on the NBA Finals they’d never had before,” said NBA VP/Global Media Distribution Jeff Marsilio. “The new film pushes that experience forward in so many ways.”

Today's agenda will include an in-depth discussion on ways sponsors can build their brands as, and even before, venues are constructed. Execs from Coca-Cola, SunTrust and Georgia Power will talk about the decisions they made about marketing inside Atlanta’s new sports facilities, the eternal debate over ROI and future trends in sponsorship. Then, attendees will visit Mercedes-Benz Stadium for tours and a featured interview with Falcons CEO Steve Cannon.

Pac-12 Networks and the National Cable Television Cooperative today announced a renewal of their carriage agreement, keeping Pac-12 Networks available to more than 800 NCTC member operators in the U.S. (Pac-12).

Old Dominion has selected Virginia Beach-based S.B. Ballard Construction as "construction manager when the Populous and Moseley architectural firms design" a $55M renovation of Foreman Field. It "appears likely Ballard will construct the project as well" (Norfolk VIRGINIAN-PILOT, 10/13).

"As a former media member, I'm always bothered when the coverage doesn't provide a complete and accurate picture of the story. I'm also a wife and a mom. I have always passionately defended the hard-working guy I love -- and I always will. I just may not use Twitter to do so in the future" -- Jane Skinner Goodell, wife of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who has been using the pseudonymous Twitter feed @forargument to defend her husband publicly (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/13).

"You have to give Trump credit, people are confused on the First Amendment versus patriotism, that if you exercise your First Amendment you're not a patriot, which is crazy" -- Jaguars Owner Shahid Khan, on President Trump's criticisms of NFL player protests (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 10/12).

"Since this replay thing has been in, half the time, you don't know what they're going to do. I feel they're flipping coins up there" -- Nationals LF Jayson Werth, after replay was used on a pivotal play in last night's NLDS Game 5 (WASHINGTON POST, 10/13).

"There were a lot of emotions -- it was way, way bigger than hockey. It was a lot to take in, but I think that game was very important for the city" -- Golden Knights C Jonathan Marchessault, on the team's home debut that featured tributes to first responders and victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting (MIAMI HERALD, 10/13).

The N.Y. TIMES writes, as NFL team owners consider President Trump’s “call to fire players who refuse to stand for the national anthem, they have stumbled into one of the most consequential debates in today’s workplace: How far can workers go in banding together to address problems related to their employment?” The TIMES also examines voter reaction to Trump's NFL remarks. Meanwhile, the GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE examines why Packers TE Lance Kendricks, whose family’s military history “traces to the Civil War,” would choose to sit during the national anthem.

USA TODAY writes under the header, “Why Chargers Will Never leave L.A.” Eight reasons are given as to why the franchise “is destined to stay there for the long haul.” The Chargers “knew their first years in L.A. wouldn’t be easy.” They also “know there’s no going back to San Diego.”

Also:

• Watching a game with Jerry West as his Warriors “divorce unfolds.”
• Golden Knights’ home-ice advantage “could be significant at T-Mobile Arena.”
• A look at how colleges paid for recent stadium upgrades.
• The one-woman “revolt against ‘I won’t be offended’ clause” at Barstool Sports.
• Is it time for UFC to alter its approach to PPV?
• PGA Tour players follow the big purses to Asian tournaments.
• Helmet manufacturers are pushing to create safer products.
• The day the Predators played street hockey in a local neighborhood.

It's crazy how good Tony Romo has been in his first year. There is no NFL TV analyst I have learned more from this year.

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) October 13, 2017

The @nycmarathon just signed an official mattress. Sleep instead of running? Yeah, sounds like a good idea to me. LOL. #sportsbiz 😴 😂

— J.W. Cannon (@cannonjw) October 13, 2017

if you could enlist any person to defend you using a fake twitter who would you choose? I'd pick jim harbaugh

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) October 12, 2017

Roger Goodell's wife defending him on an anonymous Twitter account is the only endearing thing about him that's ever been revealed.

— Alex Reimer (@AlexReimer1) October 12, 2017

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Last Night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was "Movie History."

"A 1947 FBI study chided this holiday film's 'attempt to discredit bankers ... a common trick used by communists.'"

"What is 'It’s A Wonderful Life'?"