• Georgia Buyers Help Drive Demand For CFP Championship Tickets
• ESPN Not Likely To Land Interview With Trump At CFP Title Game
• Packers Set To Name Longtime Scout Brian Gutekunst New GM
• Wild Card Recap: Did Games Confirm Negative Perceptions Of NFL?

Ticket resale prices for tonight’s CFP National Championship in Atlanta are now averaging $2,413, according to StubHub, more than twice the level for last year’s game and the resale marketplace’s second-highest college football title game following Alabama-Notre Dame in January '13. But the average remains well below prices seen at the beginning of last week after the Alabama-Georgia matchup was determined. Low-end get-in pricing soared past $2,000 per ticket a week ago but is now starting at $1,414, and StubHub earlier had upper sideline tickets sell for $750.

Interest among Georgia fans has remained strong, not surprising with the game happening less than an hour from Athens, and buyers from Georgia have represented 49.7% of the roughly $20M in gross market value generated on StubHub from the game. But Alabama buyers have generated less than than $1M in gross market value and represent just 4.9% of the game’s total sales volume, trailing behind buyers from Florida and Arizona. As of last night, nearly 4,000 tickets to the game remained for sale on StubHub.

ESPN execs said that the net "has been in contact with the White House" about interviewing President Trump during tonight's CFP title game telecast, but "indications are it will not happen." ESPN Senior VP/Event & Studio Production Stephanie Druley said, "We will, obviously, show him at the game when we see where he is sitting." Druley added that "requesting an interview with Trump is not an attempt to reconcile past issues the White House has had with ESPN" (AP, 1/7).

Meanwhile, the NAACP said that it "plans to lead a protest" against Trump in Atlanta outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium (AJC.com, 1/7).

The Packers today are expected to name longtime NFL scout Brian Gutekunst their new GM, replacing Ted Thompson. Gutekunst was "chosen over fellow in-house candidates Russ Ball and Eliot Wolf," the son of former Packers GM Ron Wolf. A source confirmed that team President & CEO Mark Murphy also interviewed former Bills GM Doug Whaley, "ensuring the Packers would comply with the league's Rooney Rule." Gutekunst is from Houston, and he was "scheduled to interview" for the Texans' GM vacancy as well (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 1/8).

In several respects, it was "not a great wild-card weekend for the NFL." On Saturday, the Titans-Chiefs game had "awful officiating," while Falcons-Rams had an "awful field." On Sunday, Jaguars-Bills had "awful offenses" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/8). If the NFL was "hoping to change the narrative defining its product this season -- bad football, bad quarterbacking, bad officiating and frustration about replays and rules -- this wild card weekend did little to do that" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 1/8).

But to some observers, it was a "fun weekend," and the Divisional round is "going to be a fun weekend coming up." Amid a "strange year in the league," the NFL "could use some megastars" (SI.com, 1/8).

NBC Sports hired Damon Phillips from ESPN to run NBC Sports Washington as GM of the RSN. Phillips replaces Rebecca Schulte, who announced her resignation as the RSN’s GM in September but stayed on until a successor was formally announced. Phillips will move to the DC area and report to NBC Sports Regional Networks President of Group and Strategic Production & Programming Ted Griggs. NBC Sports Washington holds rights to Capitals and Wizards games. As part of Phillips' job, he will be the RSN’s liaison with Monumental Sports Network; Monumental Sports & Entertainment holds an ownership stake in the RSN.

Phillips, honored with SBJ/SBD’s 40 Under 40 award in '10, spent 10 years at ESPN overseeing streaming services ESPN3 and WatchESPN. Most recently, he was ESPN VP/Technical Product Management.

UCF tonight will host a "free block party in downtown Orlando" touting its undefeated season, Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl win and self-proclaimed national championship, after the school yesterday at Disney World hosted the "first of two postseason celebrations." UCF AD Danny White was "surprised" by the "volume of fans who came to celebrate the Cinderella college football team near Cinderella's castle." White said that the fact that both events are being held prior to the CFP title game is "purely coincidence" and that he "planned the events closer to when UCF students would be returning to campus for the semester." UCF's new season-ticket sales for '18 are "already north of 2,500" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/8).

The ORLANDO SENTINEL goes with the header, "College Football Leaders Praise UCF But Don't Call Knights National Champions."

The NBA holds its annual sales and marketing meeting today and tomorrow at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami. Top league and team execs will meet to discuss marketing, sales and sponsorship plans, along with other initiatives. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBA CMO Pam El will address the execs, and the league will recognize team business performance in a variety of categories. The keynote speaker this year will be SAP CEO Bill McDermott.

NBC Sports-owned youth sports software company SportsEngine will be integrated into the parent company’s upcoming coverage of the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials and Pyeongchang Games, directing youth to available winter sports programs. A series of short promotional features will be included in the Olympics coverage to drive users to SportsEngine.com and its searchable archive of more than 100,000 youth sports listings across 70 different sports. The effort will replace a similar effort from NBC called Gold Map used in Sochi in '14 and Rio in '16.

Billie Jean King and actress Emma Stone were interviewed together on the red carpet at the Golden Globe ceremony about Stone’s role as King in “Battle of the Sexes.” King said of her activism, “Every generation has to fight for equality and ... it’s now Emma’s turn to do that and her generation. It’s our job as an older generation to keep mentoring and keep helping and keep supporting.” Stone said King has been an “activist through tennis since the very beginning,” and she has “used tennis as her platform to effect social change” (“Golden Globes Arrivals Special,” NBC, 1/7).

SBD/SBJ are pleased to announced our Class of Champions for '18. In its ninth year, Champions recognizes the architects and builders of sports. This year’s recipients are longtime MLB exec Paul Beeston, sports labor attorney Howard Ganz, longtime sports financing exec Sal Galatioto, sports media pioneer Kay Koplovitz, college sports leader Ben Sutton and Fritz Pollard Alliance Chair John Wooten. SBD/SBJ will tell the stories of each honoree in separate issues throughout the months of February, March and April. In addition, the Champions will be honored April 17 at the CAA World Congress of Sports in L.A. Read more in this week's SBJ.

Trail Blazers radio play-by-play announcer Brian Wheeler "will miss the team's four-game road trip" to play the Thunder, Rockets, Pelicans and T'Wolves. Wheeler is "still dealing with personal health issues" that caused him to miss the start of the season (Portland OREGONIAN, 1/8).

A protest filed with the Arizona State Liquor Board has "stalled plans -- likely until March -- to get permission to sell beer and wine" at Univ. of Arizona home basketball games. School officials "had hoped to start selling alcohol" at McKale Center "as early as this month" (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 1/7).

Officials today at the Triple-A PCL Memphis Redbirds' AutoZone Park are expected to announce details regarding the "city's new franchise" in the USL (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 1/4).

"From a ratings and viewership standpoint, you’d rather have a brand name team from the SEC against a team from another part of the country that has a big brand -- like an Ohio State or Texas. The notion that this is exactly what we wanted -- it’s short-sighted, and, to put it a little less politely, just plain wrong" -- ESPN's Rece Davis, on the all-SEC matchup in the CFP National Championship (THEATHLETIC.com, 1/8).

"I'm going to enjoy Monday immensely" -- SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, on the CFP (THEADVOCATE.com, 1/7).

"Great win to day! And 64, you goin have to come harder than some weak racist slurs. I’m proud of my African heritage, as are 70% of the other Black players in this league. #Iaintjonathanmartin!" -- Jaguars DE Yannick Ngakoue, in a tweet directed at Bills G Richie Incognito (TWITTER.com, 1/7).

USA TODAY writes of the CFP National Championship game, "Underneath the glitz of Monday night's Atlanta extravaganza, it's hard to shake the feeling that college football is unwittingly being driven into a ditch." Meanwhile, the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION goes with the headers, "Football Stars Align: Atlanta Revels With UGA In Championship Game," and "College Football's Title Game Kicks Off String Of Mega-Events For Atlanta."

Also:

• Eagles' playoff home-field advantage boosts Philadelphia tax revenue.
• Columnists argue public should stop subsidizing sports venues.
• U.S. tax reform puts Colorado universities' athletic finances in limbo.
• Return to grind of coaching may be tough for Raiders' Jon Gruden.
• Bobblehead honoring Dodgers fan will benefit a worthy cause.
• Basketball is the family business for Gregg and Doug Gottlieb.

So when I suggested Oprah buy the Panthers turns I was setting the ceiling too low.

— Jane McManus (@janesports) January 8, 2018

This "Cam Newton's visor poked him in the eye" is the greatest storyline in the history of sports. And I'm saying that as a former WWE wrestler. Watch the video, you don't collapse after that him because you need ice on your face. It's a #concussion. pic.twitter.com/fgsMiai3et

— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) January 8, 2018

If we as the media stop talking to irrelevant people, then irrelevant people (who happen to have a son in the NBA) wouldn't have the opportunity to say dumb things. Just a thought.

— Jason Lloyd (@JasonLloydNBA) January 8, 2018

With all due respect to Rick Carlisle, crtitcizing ESPN for publishing a totally legit news story is utterly ignorant. It is not ESPN's job to protect its broadcast partners. They are a news organization, and they sent @mcten to Lithuania because there is a big news story there.

— Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) January 8, 2018

The A's will execute their previously announced move to downtown Oakland, consolidating their offices at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and Oracle Arena into a 40,000-square-foot space in Jack London Square. The team will maintain offices at the Coliseum for gameday operations.

SCP Auctions will begin taking bids on the '94 Heisman Trophy awarded to the late Rashaan Salaam.

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Friday night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Comic Book Publishers.”

“In 1946, MLJ Magazines changed its name to this ‘Comics,’ incorporating the first name of its popular teenage hero.”

Friday’s edition of “Jeopardy” featured the category “NHL Logos.”

$200: “A webbed foot forms the ‘D’ in this team’s name on their logo.”
$400: “In 2010 they brought back crossed swords to their bison logo.”
$600: “A sea creature is depicted chomping on a hockey stick on the logo of this San Jose team.”
$800: “A musical note outlined in yellow and navy has served as their logo since 1998.”
$1000: “This team’s flying wheel logo is the oldest unchanged logo in the NHL, created in 1948.”

“What is Archie?”

Correct responses to the “NHL Logos” category:

$200: “Who are the Ducks?”
$400: “Who are the Sabres?”
$600: “Who are the Sharks?”
$800: “Who are the Blues?”
$1000: “Who are the Red Wings?”