With the NFL playing its first of three games this season in London today, NFL Exec VP/Int'l Mark Waller said that the "next step in the eventual placement of a franchise in England is to evaluate how London responds to hosting games on consecutive weeks." Waller said that consecutive games at Wembley Stadium could occur "as soon as next year." He added that the league's goal will be to see how the stadium's infrastructure "could handle games on consecutive weekends and possibly even three in a row at some point." This would "provide a more accurate gauge on fan interest and ticket sales" (CBSSPORTS.com, 9/28).

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last night spent three hours visiting the National Domestic Violence Hotline, "getting an up-close look at the realities victims face." Hotline CEO Katie Ray-Jones described the private meeting as "emotional" for Goodell. She said, "At one point he was physically moved to tears as he heard stories from our advocates about what women were encountering, that we took today" (AP, 9/28).

Meanwhile, the NFL on Friday "sent a memo to every owner and team president" denying the report that the league received video in April of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee. The memo read in part, "Our office has found absolutely no evidence to support the claim of the anonymous ‘law enforcement source’ that he sent a video to the NFL office or that he received a telephone call to his ‘disposable cell phone’ from an unidentified female using an NFL line" (Baltimore SUN, 9/27).

The NFL is "devoting commercial time to public service announcements from the No More anti-domestic violence campaign during all of its game broadcasts this weekend," including those on CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. The 30-second PSA, which also ran during Giants-Redskins on Thursday night, "delivers a strong message speaking out against domestic violence and sexual assault" (Baltimore SUN, 9/27).

Jeter also appears on several back-page covers, including the N.Y. Daily News. Elsewhere, both Gatorade and Jordan Brand run full-page ads in today's N.Y. Times. The Gatorade ad features a message from Jeter to fans, while the Jordan ad shows fans wearing "Re2pect" hats (THE DAILY).

Hornets F Jeff Taylor "will not be allowed to practice or play for his team while the NBA investigates his arrest Thursday on a domestic violence charge in Michigan." A source said that the Hornets "intend to pay Taylor while the NBA investigates the matter." The team is "scheduled to start training camp Tuesday morning at UNC Asheville" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/27).

FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Friday insisted that an investigative report into the bidding for the '18 and '22 World Cups "should remain private, despite growing pressure for its release from inside and outside soccer’s world governing body." Michael Garcia, the independent investigator who wrote the report, on Wednesday "called for its 'appropriate publication'" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/27).

Brewers Owner Mark Attanasio yesterday announced that team President of Baseball Operations & GM Doug Melvin "would be back" in '15. But he also "voiced his immense displeasure with the epic late-season collapse that transformed the Brewers from a first-place club to out of the playoffs." Attanasio: "I haven't handled it well. Honestly, I haven't slept." Attanasio "normally addresses the players in the clubhouse on the final day of the season but admitted he saw no point to doing so Sunday after watching his team fold like a picnic chair" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/28).

The White Sox honored retiring DH Paul Konerko in "a well-attended, 40-minute ceremony" before last night's game against the Royals. The ceremony included a "surprise unveiling of a statue on the left-field concourse, the announced retirement of Konerko’s No. 14 next season and a three-minute video encapsulating his career" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/28). Last night's game drew an announced crowd of 38,160 (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/28).

The Bengals have "sold nearly 10,000" of DT Devon Still's jerseys and approached $1M raised "for pediatric cancer research" through the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The team said that orders "have come from all 50 states, as well as from Canada and Australia" since the fundraiser began "nearly three weeks" ago. The Bengals will "continue selling Still's jerseys through Oct. 20 on their website" (ESPN.com, 9/28).

Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder yesterday "wore a new, white windbreaker" against UTEP, instead of the purple top "he normally wears with a bowl emblem on the back." When asked about the switch, Snyder said that he "was fulfilling a request from the Big 12 to stop promoting the defunct Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl -- now the Cactus Bowl -- or the Holiday Bowl, which no longer has ties to the conference" (K.C. STAR, 9/28).

The videoboard at UMass' McGuirk Stadium "suddenly crashed to the ground" yesterday during the third quarter of the school's game against Bowling Green, "rocking the stadium with a loud boom." After a "few moments, panic receded while play resumed on the field." The school announced that the cause of the collapse "was a burst hydraulic line, and that there were no injuries." UMass Associate AD/Media Relations John Sinnett said that the videoboard "is beyond repair" (MASSLIVE.com, 9/27).

Last night's episode of "SNL" opened with a skit that spoofed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's press conference last week. Goodell, played by Chris Pratt, said, "I want to thank all the people who stood by me -- Redskins Owner Dan Snyder, Michael Vick and Saints coach Sean Payton -- for not holding me to the same standards I held them to." Later in the show, a skit parodied the player introductions for today's Panthers-Ravens game (“SNL,” NBC, 9/27). Follow this link to see the full "SNL" opening skit, with the player intros below.

Last night's Notre Dame-Syracuse game at MetLife Stadium was played before 76,802, the "largest crowd for a college football game" in the venue's history (SYRACUSE.com, 9/28).

The Sharks yesterday held their first-ever Fan Fest, and 15,000 fans "gobbled up the free tickets for the event at SAP Center" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/28).

The Brewers on Friday announced that the club will honor former team Owner and current MLB Commissioner Bud Selig by retiring a uniform with the No. 1 in a ceremony that will take place next season at Miller Park (Brewers).

The Lightning during yesterday's Fan Fest unveiled their new third jersey, a "black version with 'BOLTS' on the front" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 9/28).

Nike's sharp increase in quarterly profits reported this week helped to bolster gains on the stock market on Friday, which "rose sharply" to close the week (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/27).

Longines ran a full-page ad in yesterday's N.Y. Times around its title sponsorship of the L.A. Masters equestrian event, which concludes today (THE DAILY).

"I do forgive Danny. It’s not something I want to hold on to for the rest of my career or the rest of my life. I had a chance to speak to Danny and I really believe he’s sorry for what he said" – Heat F Luol Deng, on his feelings toward Hawks GM Danny Ferry in the wake of his racially charged remarks about Deng during a scouting meeting (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 9/27).

"It is troubling that it could happen in the workplace. I think teams really need to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for anything that would smack of racism or sexism or homophobia" – Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sports Dir Richard Lapchick, on racially charged remarks made by Hawks GM Danny Ferry and Managing Partner Bruce Levenson (AP, 9/26).

"From ownership on down, we don't want to gut it and go to the bottom. We just don't want to do that – we're going to a new building. OK, so, we're trying to rebuild on the fly. We're doing it with young players, we've got a good coach and we'll keep our fingers crossed" – Red Wings Senior VP Jim Devellano, on the team's desire to rebuild without sacrificing competitiveness (DETROIT NEWS, 9/28).

"How can you be too involved when it's your business. In no other business would people say that, other than sports. Nobody would ever ask, can Tom be too involved with Platinum Equity. It's his business, he runs the show" – Pistons President of Basketball Operations and coach Stan Van Gundy, on whether Owner Tom Gores is too involved in the team's basketball operations (DETROIT NEWS, 9/27).

"He conveyed to me, in no uncertain terms, that – particularly as a Boston College grad and a hockey fan – he would never move a classic Boston event like the Beanpot out of our city" – Boston Mayor Martin Walsh's Press Secretary Kate Norton, clarifying comments by the mayor about the possibility of holding the Beanpot college hockey tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland (BOSTON HERALD, 9/28).

"My main concern with the parade was just, don't fall. I didn't end up as an unfortunate YouTube clip, so there were no embarrassing moments" – ESPN's Jemele Hill, on serving as the grand marshal of Michigan State's homecoming parade Friday (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 9/28).

The Baltimore SUN's Dan Rodricks wonders whether the Ravens' $600,000 donation to domestic violence group House of Ruth Maryland constitutes "a form of hush money." After all, it comes "in the midst of a controversy the team most certainly wants to go away."

ESPNW's Julie Foudy wrote of players suing FIFA over plans for the '15 Women's World Cup to be played on artificial turf, "I hope I don't come off as a drunk optimist spitting into the wind when I say maybe, maybe this time, FIFA will come to its senses and do the right thing." FIFA should make sure it is "played on grass, just the way it would be if Canada were hosting a men's World Cup."

Elsewhere:

• Kobe Bryant, Arianna Huffington discuss hardships, triumphs.
• American football "is just pregnant right now in Brazil."
• Selig reflects on his two favorite ballparks: Fenway and Wrigley.
• Dick Enberg finds professional joy amid personal heartbreak.
• Jeter and Konerko both "class acts" as successful MLB players.
• Nashville-based therapist works with high-profile athletes.
• DeAngelo Williams instrumental in NFL's breast cancer initiatives.
• Behind Len Reiffel's historic invention of the Telestrator.

Thank you #MLS fans for setting a new record for sellouts in a season. Today's match in Toronto was the 113th sold-out game this year.

— Don Garber (@thesoccerdon) September 27, 2014

Disenchantment with some in Jets orgn about how conservative GM John Idzik was not more aggressive in off-season. Jets still 21.2M under cap

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 28, 2014

Still weighing his NBA future, @jermaineoneal takes out full-page ad in SF Chronicle to thank Warriors & their fans pic.twitter.com/JTsRYP78ws

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) September 28, 2014

First commercial break in #Lions game was political ad-free. Spots cost less in pregame than in-game flights during NFL telecasts.

— Bill Shea (@Bill_Shea19) September 28, 2014

Judging by jersey population, it is not easy to find a #RedSox fan today at Fenway Park. #YankeesNation

— David Lennon (@DPLennon) September 28, 2014

This morning, @NFLCommish & I met w @Strong_TexasFB to discuss core values, game integrity, & college relations. Great meeting, great input.

— Troy Vincent (@TroyVincent23) September 28, 2014