The NHL season opened yesterday following a 113-day lockout, and ESPN's David Lloyd reported, "In all, there were approximately 100 fewer fans at each game on Saturday compared to last season. But 11 of the 13 games sold out and no arena was under 97% capacity" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 1/20). It is "just one night, and it's a long way to go, but ... don't expect fans to stay away" (CBSSPORTS.com, 1/20). At the Devils-Islanders game, "the excitement was there. A sellout crowd of 16,170 showed up, dispelling the idea that fans wouldn't return after the labor stoppage" (NJ.com, 1/19). The Bell Centre in Montreal was "buzzing with nothing but excitement" (TORONTO STAR, 1/20).

Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts yesterday said that the team will "fund an ambitious" $300M renovation plan at Wrigley Field if the city "eases some of its restrictions" around the ballpark. Ricketts: "We have an opportunity cost there that’s tremendous. Just give us some relief on some of these restrictions, and we’ll take care of (renovating) Wrigley Field." Among the proposed improvements are "larger concourses, additional restaurants, more bathroom and concession areas, expanded suites and amenities for the players, including a larger home clubhouse, batting cages and additional training facilities." The project "would be done during offseasons over a five-year period" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/20).

The NCAA Div. I BOD yesterday voted "in favor of deregulation that will affect a wide swath of the rulebook for all sports, including getting rid of a ban on text messages from coaches to recruits." Twenty-five of 26 proposals recommended last month by the NCAA Rules Working Group were "approved and will go into effect Aug 1" (Baltimore SUN, 1/20).

The Orioles' annual FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center yesterday was a "festival atmosphere," and the announced crowd of more than 18,500 "marked a single-day FanFest record." The event "revolved around remembering Earl Weaver," the Orioles' HOF manager who died late Friday at 82 (Baltimore SUN, 1/20). Orioles Owner Peter Angelos in a statement said, "Earl Weaver stands alone as the greatest manager in the history of the Orioles organization and one of the greatest in the history of baseball" (Baltimore SUN, 1/20). Read Thomas Boswell's column remembering Weaver (WASHINGTON POST, 1/19).

A crowd of  9,121 attended the Royals' FanFest yesterday at the Overland Park Convention Center, with 2,259 tickets sold Saturday. The event's attendance was “comparable to the two-day FanFest events” held from ’08-11. No FanFest was held last year (K.C. STAR, 1/20).

Former NFLer Archie Manning is joining his son, Broncos QB Peyton Manning, as a "Papa John's pitchman, spearheading the pizza chain's coin-flip promotion at the Super Bowl." Fans starting today can "go online and choose heads or tails for the opening coin toss," and the winners will "get free pizza." Before the AFC Championship game today at 6:30pm ET, Peyton Manning will "star in a commercial" with CBS announcer Jim Nantz. Archie Manning will "do the on-the-ground and internet promotions" (AP, 1/19).

Indians manager Terry Francona said that he feels SI’s excerpt from “Francona: The Red Sox Years,” co-written by Francona and the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy, “painted a misleading portrait of the book.” The excerpt included statements from Francona and Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein that were "critical" of team ownership. Francona said, “That’s not what the book is about. ... Personally, I’m a little disappointed, but I just have to be patient and hope that people want to read the book” (SI.com, 1/19). Shaughnessy today writes about his year working with Francona on the book, calling it “thoroughly collaborative, exhausting, and hilarious” (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/20).

Lance Armstrong's interview with Oprah Winfrey was “seen by 4.3 million viewers in back-to-back airings” last Thursday on OWN. But the interview “drew only 3.2 million viewers for its first airing” (AP, 1/18). The initial airing attracted “only the second-biggest audience” for Winfrey’s two-year-old channel (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/19).

A State Farm promotion offering $18,000 to a student who makes a halfcourt shot during ESPN's "College GameDay" saw its first successful attempt in four years yesterday. Wearing a red No. 1 State Farm jersey, Butler student Kevin Schwartz was the "first in the nine-year history of the show to do so on his first attempt." ESPN reported that Schwartz, who took the shot prior to the Gonzaga-Butler game at Hinkle Fieldhouse, "broke an 0-of-32 streak by students on 'GameDay'" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 1/20).

Sources said that the Dodgers are “leaning toward” moving their TV broadcasts from Fox Sports to Time Warner Cable starting in ’14 (LATIMES.com, 1/18).

The Sabres grossed $2M from sales in the team’s official store at First Niagara Center this week. The team sold all merchandise in the store for 50% during that time period (“Flyers-Sabres,” NBC, 1/20).

NASCAR VP/Competition Robin Pemberton on Friday said that he "doesn't anticipate another manufacturer joining Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota in the 'foreseeable future ... the next year or two'" (ESPN.com, 1/18).

NBC's "SNL" tackled the controversies surrounding Armstrong and Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o in the show's opening.

"I don't like thinking about it but that was a $75 million day" - Armstrong, on the day last October when Nike and most of his other sponsors severed ties with him (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/19).

NBC’s Jay Leno: “Oprah did not hold back. She went for Lance’s other testicle” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 1/18).

“I wouldn’t credit him for anything” - Bruins and NHL BOG Chair Jeremy Jacobs, asked if NHLPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr deserved credit for the unity of players during the lockout (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/19).

“Patience is one thing, but to me the most important thing is honesty about ourselves and where we are. I think it's very, very important not to be -- the word is delusional” - Jaguars Owner Shad Khan, in announcing Gus Bradley as the team's new coach on Friday, stressing that the Jaguars are in rebuilding mode (AP, 1/18).

"I can't fault anything we did. If we had known anything different, if there had been a hint or a tip, we would have reported it differently. But there wasn't" - South Bend Tribune editor Bill Bilinski, on the newspaper's reporting of Te'o's relationship with fictitious girlfriend Lennay Kekua (WASHINGTON POST, 1/19).

"This is a modest deal. People should just grab it and not ask too many questions" - SportsCorp President Marc Ganis, on the NFL Panthers' request for $125M for Bank of America Stadium renovations from the city of Charlotte (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/19).

"I was Junior Seau. My life was over. I was standing on the edge of the bridge (ready to jump). If I had a gun I would have used it. I was on my back on the floor for three years with pain that I can only describe like maybe being submerged in scalding acid with an electric current running through it" - Basketball HOFer Bill Walton (L.A. TIMES, 1/20).

Patriots Owner Robert Kraft talks about life, loneliness, and love.

The Predators look to win back fans following the NHL lockout.

With ongoing conference realignment, the Atlantic Ten is in transition.

Public and political opposition to the Falcons’ stadium proposal reflects a shift in sentiment about public financing of stadium projects.

Donations by athletics boosters raise questions at colleges.

Critics see inconsistency in Notre Dame’s handling of the Te’o controversy and a ‘10 sexual assault accusation against a football player by a female student who soon after committed suicide.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is part of the latest class of inductees into his high school's HOF on Long Island.

"Will Padres TV Impasse Drag On?”

The Weekend Rap offers a Sunday sampling of the most popular sports stories from three U.S. markets: 

Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE:

1) Wild's top line shows its shine in 4-2 opening-night victory
2) Souhan: Parise finds playing for home team at the X is all it's cracked up to be
3) Homeland has Wild rookie Granlund well-covered

N.Y. DAILY NEWS:

1) Vinton: Lance's cheating, bullying & sociopathic ways
2) Lupica: Lance, Te'o both had the perfect story for so long
3) Bode Miller and wife lose unborn baby

WASHINGTON POST:

1) Wizards vs. Clippers: Washington rally falls short as Los Angeles wins, 94-87
2) Earl Weaver: Words from a baseball master
3) Earl Weaver quotes to Thomas Boswell

ESPN's Adam Schefter: "Raiders engaged in discussions with former Madison Square Garden president Scott O’Neil about becoming president of their organization."

MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko: "Adam Jones joked that he's in Matt Wieters' ear about signing an extension, 'But he's got Boras.' #orioles"

MLB Business PR Dir Jeff Heckelman: "Sandy Alderson @MetsGM jokes at @officialBBWAA dinner that he's in serious discussions with multiple outfielders that he's met online."

ESPN's Andrew Brandt: "11 of 13 @nhl games sold out last night. Like NFL and NBA, lockout served as effective marketing tool:)"

"Dan Patrick Show" Producer Paul Pabst: "Can't wait to see who sits next to Te'o in the green room at the draft."

Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons: "Bravo LA Kings. Bringing the family from Sandy Hook was a remarkable touch. We're in tears here."

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