Atos Origin, which has provided technology support for the Olympics for 25 years, extended its TOP sponsorship through ‘20. It is the second extension the IOC has announced since the Sochi Games began, after previously announcing a renewal with Panasonic through ‘24. Atos has sponsored the IOC since ‘89, and the renewal ensures the IOC will not have to change its technology support and infrastructure ahead for the ‘18 Pyeongchang and ‘20 Tokyo Games. The deal with Atos is mostly a value-in-kind agreement, and the company uses it to showcase its IT systems to potential customers.

NBC's Saturday primetime telecast of the Sochi Games earned a 15.2 overnight rating. The top 10 local markets for NBC were Minneapolis (22.4), Portland (20.7), Salt Lake City (20.6), Denver (20.3), Milwaukee (19.8), Ft. Myers, Fla. (18.5), Boston (18.2), K.C. (17.6) and Austin, Texas (17.3) (THE DAILY).

U.S. Figure Skating called a report that it is involved in collusion to fix the Olympics ice dancing competition in favor of U.S. skaters Meryl Davis and Charlie White "categorically false." French newspaper L'Equipe reported that the U.S. and Russia "have struck a deal that would help Davis and White win the ice dance gold and Russia win both pairs and the team event." Int'l Skating Union ‎Communications & Media Coordinator Selina Vanier in an e-mail yesterday wrote, "The ISU does not react to allegations without evidence" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/9).

Suspended Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez on Friday "effectively ended his battle" with MLB, "dropping his lawsuits against baseball and the players union over his doping suspension." Rodriguez, "without admitting to the use" of PEDs, "quietly submitted papers in federal court in New York seeking to dismiss" the suits. MLB in a statement said, "We believe that Mr. Rodriguez’s actions show his desire to return the focus to the play of our great game on the field and to all of the positive attributes and actions of his fellow major league players." The MLBPA's statement read, "His decision to move forward is in everyone's best interest" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/8).

Sources said that Rodriguez "hopes to pursue a career in broadcasting or even partial team ownership after his retirement and feared a protracted legal fight" could have caused him to be "blackballed" by MLB (ESPNNY.com, 2/7).

The Vikings on Friday unveiled PSL pricing details for the team's new $975M stadium, with figures "largely in line with the parameters they announced in October." The stadium will have 65,400 seats, including 3,400 in suites. Of the 62,000 remaining seats, about 50,000 "require the one-time purchase of a seat license -- which the team refers to as a 'stadium builder's license,' or SBL -- in order to buy a season ticket for that seat." The team said that the average SBL will cost "about $2,500." At $125M, the Vikings' ticket program "falls in the middle of the pack" among NFL teams (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/8).

Madison Square Garden Co. on Friday reported that its 2Q net income rose 29% "compared with a year ago, when a lockout delayed the start of the NHL season." MSG's sports revenue "more than doubled in the latest quarter, and the hockey games also lifted its media revenue." Net income grew to $60.5M, up from $46.9M for the same quarter in FY '13. The company's revenue jumped 31% to $509.4M from $387.9M (AP, 2/7).

The Univ. of Michigan and the Univ. of Florida will each earn $6M for playing in the '17 season-opening Cowboys Classic college football game at AT&T Stadium. ESPN "will cut the check" for the participation fee "within 10 business days of the game." However, it is the Cowboys who "are paying the teams to participate." Each school also "will receive 25,000 tickets to sell for the game" (DETROIT NEWS, 2/8).

Workers at the Arena de Amazonia World Cup stadium in Manaus, Brazil, are "threatening to go on strike to demand better conditions following a third recent construction-related death at the venue" (AP, 2/9).

CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon said that he and CFL President & COO Mike Copeland today will be flying to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to meet with Mayor Mike Savage and business leaders "about the possibility of bringing a team to the city" (TSN.ca, 2/6).

USGA VP & Championship Committee Chair Thomas O'Toole was elected to serve a one-year term as President (USGA).

Furman Univ. officials on Friday announced that the school "will drop men's golf as a varsity sport after this spring season" (PGA.com, 2/7).

Ralph Lauren runs a full-page ad in today's N.Y. Times featuring U.S. speedskater Shani Davis. In yesterday's Times, USOC sponsor United Airlines ran a full-page ad featuring U.S. ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson (THE DAILY).

"We wanted to make very clear that we do not abide by discrimination in any forms, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. One of the wonderful things about the Olympics is that you are judged by your merit, how good you are, regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love" – President Obama, on including openly gay athletes in the U.S. delegation for the Sochi Games (“XXII Winter Olympics,” NBC, 2/7).

"In general, I still feel that politics don't have a place in the Olympics. Look back traditionally at how the Olympics began -- it was an attempt to get rid of politics and break down walls" – Former U.S. speedskater and current U.S. team physician Eric Heiden, explaining why he would have attended the '80 Moscow Games despite the U.S. boycott, had he qualified (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/8).

"We tried every way, shape and form to send them to Russia, but they blocked them" – MyPillow Founder & CEO Mike Lindell, on Russian customs officials blocking his shipment of 3,000 pillows to Sochi (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/9).

"He wants me to broker everything going forward between the NBA, the NCAA and all the constituents. He wants to lift the bar in terms of youth development and where the game is going" – USA Basketball Chair Jerry Colangelo, on his professional relationship with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/8).

"This is foolish. Nobody’s talking about it. Why does the NBA have to be so restrictive on labor? It is absolutely ridiculous. We’re talking about playing basketball" – Columnist Kevin Blackistone, on Adam Silver potentially mandating that NBAers be 20 years old to play in the league (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 2/7).

"I’m sure there are others who are mumbling underneath their breath, but this one was a little bit more than that" – MLSE President & CEO Tim Leiweke, responding to MLS Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz' recent criticism of Toronto FC's offseason spending spree (TORONTO SUN, 2/8).

"You know how winter is testing the patience of the public? So is this. Get it over with. There is a win-win for both parties. Stop arguing. Come to a resolution so everybody can be a winner moving forward" – Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, on Wrigley Field renovations being held up by litigation threats from the rooftop owners (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/9).

"There’s a secondary intent here -- it’s really to showcase women’s golf because I’m a big believer and I know others within the USGA are huge believers that the women just don’t get enough credit" – USGA Exec Dir Mike Davis, on holding the men's and women's U.S. Open events at Pinehurst on consecutive weekends this year (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/9).

The L.A. TIMES' Helene Elliott reflects on how the Games "have grown and the massive changes that have taken place" technologically in the span of covering the past 10 Winter Olympics.

Newark STAR-LEDGER's Steve Politi: "Nothing worse than covering skiing."

A profile of Olympic announcer Andrew Catalon, "the voice of curling" during the Games

SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS' Troy Wolverton looks at new viewing options from NBC.

BOSTON GLOBE's Mark Feeney: Hollywood has "shown far less interest" in Winter Games.

WALL STREET JOURNAL's Ellen Jervell: Norway wins Winter gold "at a remarkable rate."

BOSTON GLOBE's Fluto Shinzawa on Pro's Choice, designer of hockey goalie masks.

SportsBusiness Daily/Journal have converted their On The Ground blog into a comprehensive, daily website devoted to the Sochi Games and the business behind it. The site is free and runs through Monday, Feb. 24, the day after the Closing Ceremony. The site also can be accessed through the On The Ground link on SportsBusinessDaily.com. SBJ Olympics writer Tripp Mickle is in Sochi providing news updates, people profiles and personal insights from the Games. Entries currently on the blog include:

* Liberty Mutual, North Face scrap Sochi hospitality plans

* Sochi Games prompt sponsors to break new ad creative

* Overbooked cruise ship forces Ludus Tours to move 100 guests

* After all the concern, crowds move smoothly through Olympic Park

* Opening Ceremony down on NBC from '10, but high for non-live event

ESPN THE MAGAZINE's Howard Bryant writes, "Black History Month has arrived. The annual lament of the vanishing black player can officially commence. African-American roots run deep in baseball, deeper than in any other professional sport." But while the '70s saw African-Americans comprising "a high of 19 percent of big leaguers," MLB "hasn't had a blockbuster black marketing star since Ken Griffey Jr., a rookie before Mike Trout was born."

The N.Y. TIMES' Ben Strauss profiles National College Players Association President Ramogi Huma, who as a freshman LB at UCLA in '95 started a student group called the College Athletes Coalition "to little fanfare." The coalition soon "had chapters at 10 universities." Nearly two decades later, Drake Group Exec Committee member David Ridpath says Huma "may be the most powerful force in NCAA reform."

Elsewhere:

• Remembering Baseball HOFer Ralph Kiner and his "unique charm."
• Is the Pro Football HOF voting process "a bittersweet, broken affair?"
• "Five Smart Things Under Armour Did To Take On The Sports Retail Giants."
• UT-Dallas and Texas Instruments work together "tackling the concussion crisis."
• Who or what gets the harshest grade on the Super Bowl XLVIII report card? 

L.A. Times' Bill Plaschke: "Woman in Sochi press room just put white stickers on my Dell computer insignias because, she said, Dell is not Olympic sponsor..seriously."

N.Y. Times' Richard Sandomir: "David Remnick is NBC's star of the opening ceremonies with his clear-eyed commentary."

Newsday's Tom Rock: "A week ago we had pages upon pages of Super Bowl coverage in @Newsday. Today the word 'football' does not even appear in the paper."

ESPN's Jeff Goodman: "Oklahoma State has set a news conference for 5 pm CT today, spokesman told ESPN. Marcus Smart, Travis Ford, AD Mike Holder will all speak."

Pro snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler: "Everyone slamming @shaun_white should take a step back & b grateful for all of the #Olympic exposure and opportunity he's created for slope."

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

U.S. bobsledder Johnny Quinn posted this image from his room in Sochi and wrote, "I was taking a shower and the door got locked/jammed ... ...With no phone to call for help, I used my bobsled push training to break out. #SochiJailBreak." Among the flood of tweets reacting to Quinn's photo, Octagon First Call Managing Dir David Schwab posted, "If Home Depot was still a USOC sponsor they could have had a field day w. Johnny Quinn & the smashed door at the Olympics."