The Univ. of Michigan "has targeted" Northwestern AD Jim Phillips as a candidate to succeed Dave Brandon, who resigned Friday. Eying Phillips is "an indication that Michigan will seriously consider candidates without university ties." Some "logical candidates also likely to be considered" include UConn AD Warde Manuel and Boston College AD Brad Bates, both of whom "do have Michigan ties" (ESPN.com, 11/1).

Michigan football coach Brady Hoke declined to discuss Brandon's resignation following yesterday's win over Indiana. Interim AD Jim Hackett was in the press box "making the rounds before the game." However, he "did not attend the postgame news conference, something Brandon always did" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/2).

ESPN personality Bill Simmons' latest podcast, posted Friday, originally featured a 15-minute discussion with author James Andrew Miller regarding Simmons' recent suspension, but "nearly all" of it "was removed." Simmons said that he and his team "edited that section of the podcast of his own volition, without telling ESPN what had occurred." Simmons: "If I’m going on the record about it, I’d rather do it in a real way, with permission from ESPN. That’s what we do with podcasts. We tape them and decide what stays." Thirteen seconds of elevator music was added to the podcast as a "way to cover the absence" of Simmons’ answers (N.Y. TIMES, 11/1).

ESPN's Adam Schefter said as the Redskins were arriving to today's game vs. the Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium, "at least 2,000 protesters" against the Redskins nickname were "carrying signs, playing drums and chanting, ‘Who are we? Not your mascot.'" Schefter said protest organizers hope this was "the largest ever protest against the name of the Washington Redskins."

Meanwhile, ESPN's Britt McHenry noted some of the Redskins' buses were in an accident en route to today's game. McHenry: "The incident happened when the bus was trying to get off the exit and rear-ended another bus. ... On the buses themselves, the players had some minor tweaks, a few little whiplash incidents that weren’t significant to note." Schefter added, “One player who was on the bus said that crash was sudden enough that he actually fell onto the floor as other players did and it was, ‘Nuts.’”

Also, Schefter reported there "are people in the Redskins organization who believe that the ruling and decision to start (QB Robert Griffin III) came from above." He added, "Not from Jay Gruden, but from owner Dan Snyder and from general manager Bruce Allen. Redskins executive Tony Wyllie vehemently denied it, (and) said, 'It's not true'" ("Sunday NFL Countdown," ESPN, 11/2).

Attendance for this weekend's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park was up 4%, but the total handle was down 6%. A crowd of 61,114 attended yesterday's races, which combined with the crowd on Friday brought the total attendance to 98,319. That is an increase of 4% over last year’s attendance of 94,628. The total amount bet on the two days of racing was $151,158,815, down from the '13 handle figure of $160,704,877 (Liz Mullen, Staff Writer). The two-day attendance total "made it the best-ever for a Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita since the event went to two days" (L.A. TIMES, 11/2).

The start of the Classic "was a wild one, with some of the horses in the full field of 14 bouncing into each other like bumper cars at the county fair." It "began like a demolition derby, with horses crashing into each other out of the starting gate" (AP, 11/2).

Kenyans "swept the top spots in the men’s and women’s races" at today's '14 TCS New York City Marathon, with Wilson Kipsang finishing in 2:10:59 and Mary Keitany finishing in 2:25:07. The more than 50,000 participating runners pushed "through blustery winds of 20-25 miles per hour with wind chill of about 34 degrees at the start" (WSJ.com, 11/2). NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ran the first three miles as part of the league's new partnership with NYRR (THE DAILY). There was "heightened security" at the race (NEWSDAY.com, 11/2).

Meanwhile, the broadcast of the race faced scrutiny on Twitter. The Toronto Star's Morgan Campbell: "This is insane. Yet another horribly-produced marathon broadcast. They all need to stream on youtube if they can’t do better than this." The N.Y. Times' Scott Cacciola‏: "Love the NYC Marathon. But this broadcast is... can we get an update on the men? Nothing in the last 20 minutes" (TWITTER.com, 11/2).

Are you or someone you know in the sports business industry running in today's TCS New York City Marathon? If so, contact Alex Silverman at asilverman@sportsbusinessdaily.com and let him know. Then on Monday, send him your time, a photo and a quick note about the experience to share with our readers.

Under Armour's new $130 Speedform Gemini running shoe was used in action today for the first time by TCS New York City Marathon runner Chris McCormack after it was unveiled at UA's Brand House store in Soho on Thursday night. The shoe "will be available" Jan. 1 on UA's website and in stores that month (Baltimore SUN, 11/1). McCormack completed the marathon in 03:44:38 (THE DAILY).

Attorneys "cleared the way Friday to begin the transition from Comcast SportsNet Houston to Root Sports Houston, which could take to the airwaves within two weeks" as the new TV home for Rockets and Astros games. Attorneys "met into the night to map out the means by which CSN Houston will stay on the air until the new Root Sports channel is launched." That plan includes the payment of $2.2M "to a Comcast subsidiary that manages" its RSNs (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/1).

NASCAR and F1 today in Texas both "have races going on at the same time," and the Cowboys, who "usually have about 90,000 fans" at AT&T Stadium, also play at home against the Cardinals. COTA Chair Bobby Epstein, whose track is hosting the F1 U.S. Grand Prix, anticipates that there will be a crowd "of around 100,000." About 138,000 people attended last year's NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway, and a "similar crowd is expected" for today's AAA Texas 500 (AP, 11/1).

The CHARLOTTE OBSERVER's Jim Utter writes, "Is it a great idea to have two large motorsports events on the same day just hours apart? Probably not, but in all honesty I don’t believe the fan bases overlap a great deal" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/2).

A N.Y. Daily News cover story looks at how former FIFA Exec Committee member Chuck Blazer worked "at the behest of the FBI and IRS” and taped conversations with a “parade of international figures.” Blazer “emerged at the epicenter of a sprawling criminal investigation in which authorities are angling to link fraud and money-laundering to the highest levels of soccer around the world" ahead of the '18 World Cup in Russia. His cooperation with the government "provided American criminal investigators ... a rare window into the shadowy financing of international soccer, a world notorious for its corruption and lavish excess." Blazer is now “gravely ill with colon cancer” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/2).

Yesterday's New Zealand-USA rugby game at Soldier Field was played before a sellout crowd of 61,500, "the largest to witness" the sport in the U.S., "far eclipsing a 20,181 crowd" at a '13 U.S. game against Ireland in Houston. Yesterday's game "celebrated both community and an emerging sport that returns to the Olympics" in '16 after a more than 90-year absence (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/2).

Meanwhile, the grass field at Soldier Field was scheduled to be "re-sodded" following the match in time for the Bears' next home game against the Vikings on Nov. 16. This "will be the third re-sodding of Soldier Field’s playing surface since August." SMG's ‎Dir of Sponsorship & Media at Soldier Field Luca Serra said that the re-sodding will cost "$250,000 for an entire replacement" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/1).

Hundreds of thousands of people on Friday "lined the streets for a confetti and rain-soaked parade honoring" the Giants' World Series championship. Corporate sponsors "livened up the parade with elaborately decked-out floats." Baseball HOFer Willie Mays, Giants President & CEO Larry Baer, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), S.F. Mayor Ed Lee and California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom all "rode in convertibles." S.F. Chief of Police Greg Suhr said that the number of officers was at least 20% "higher than usual, with police dogs helping with security" (AP, 10/31).

The Cleveland Plain Dealer runs an eight-page section dedicated to Cavaliers F LeBron James' influence beyond the basketball court. Meanwhile, James, in a photo posted on his Facebook account, dressed as Progressive Insurance spokesperson Flo for Halloween. He wore a wig and a Progressive apron (THE DAILY).

Pro Football HOFer Jim Kelly on Friday night "served as the grand marshal" of the Univ. of Miami's homecoming parade, then "was honored in a ceremony" yesterday at halftime of the school's win over North Carolina. Yesterday was deemed "Kelly Tough" day (MIAMI HERALD, 11/2).

The Hornets run a full-page ad in today's Charlotte Observer, thanking its 80 corporate partners for their support during the '14-15 season (THE DAILY).

Carley Allison, a 19-year-old "battling double lung cancer," last night sang Canada's national anthem prior to Blackhawks-Maple Leafs as "part of the NHL's 'Hockey Fights Cancer' awareness month." Coaches, broadcasters and team personnel "wore special lavender pins and ties to mark the occasion," and the boards "were lavender too" (TORONTO STAR, 11/2).

Browns QB Johnny Manziel "appeared to post his phone number on Twitter on Friday night," and the tweet "was deleted soon after it appeared" (ESPN.com, 10/31).

The Bruins prior to last night's game against the Senators honored former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who passed away last week. The team "showed a brief video montage that finished with a picture of Menino in his office with the Stanley Cup on his desk" (ESPN.com, 11/1).

Roc Nation Sports this morning announced that it has signed Cowboys WR Dez Bryant (THE DAILY).

"If you don’t know your own value, somebody will tell you your value, and it’ll be less than you’re worth" – Boxer Bernard Hopkins, on his approach to business (N.Y. TIMES, 11/2).

"It's almost like our gift in the middle of the NFL season. It's a mini Super Bowl in the middle of the NFL season, and it's kind of quirky that it's gone three straight years playing in Foxboro, which they say is sort of a schedule quirk. I say it's perfection" – ESPN's Israel Gutierrez, on the quarterback matchup of the Broncos' Peyton Manning and the Patriots' Tom Brady ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN2, 11/2).

"It has seemed bizarre since the onset. I, though, feel that I need to take a different approach and think of it differently and think of what is good for the sport" – NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, on the new Sprint Cup Chase format (AP, 10/31).

"I’m watching as it played out and I’m saying: ‘Oh my goodness.’ Everything I tried to do over the last 23 years was playing out right there!" – MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, on Game 7 of the Giants-Royals World Series, his last before retirement (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/2).

"The problem is there is too much money probably being distributed badly -- probably my fault. But like lots of agreements people make, they seemed a good idea at the time" – F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone, on contracts he negotiated that favor larger teams financially (ESPNF1.com, 11/1).

"It's all politically connected and I think it's festered by liberals against (Redskins Owner) Dan Snyder, who's a conservative" – Former NFLer Billy Kilmer, on the movement to change the Redskins' nickname (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 11/1).

"I don’t trust Woody Johnson. … He’s a great guy, but is he a great owner?" – CBS Sports Network’s Brandon Tierney, on the Jets' struggles this season (“That Other Pregame Show,” CBSSN, 11/2).

The ARIZONA REPUBLIC's Michael Knight writes under the header, "What Will Auto Racing Look Like In 2064?" Knight "asked eight respected racing figures to let their imaginations zoom ahead" 50 years. Their predictions included "major weeknight and weekend morning races allowing fans time for other activities" and "shorter race distances and condensed event formats more suitable to a fast-paced but limited attention-span lifestyle." Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles: "I don't know what an auto is in 50 years."

The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE's Michael Sanserino writes under the header, "Why Sports Teams, Apparel Companies And Universities Opt To Crowdsource Design." Crowdsourcing "democratizes the creative process to give amateurs, novices or anybody with a good idea an outlet." The concept "has grown significantly in the past five years as social media has evolved and more businesses have embraced the idea."

Elsewhere:

• Syracuse's Jim Boeheim's playlist reflects his love of "the Motown sound."
• MLB playoff teams avoid placing "too many eggs in one star's bank account."
• The first time Al Michaels met Howard Cosell, he "wound up replacing him."
• A "whole new town temporarily was planted in Austin" for the F1 U.S. Grand Prix.
• Take a tour of "one of the country's most elaborate pregame gatherings."

Dez Bryant latest to sign with Jay Z's Roc Nation. Top agent just texted: "There's another one. Hope he doesn't like any of my guys"

— Andrew Brandt (@adbrandt) November 2, 2014

Damn you PAC 12... Running on fumes trying to watch these LATE games. Ugh.

— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) November 2, 2014

UCLA has the best jerseys of all time - what they are wearing tonight is awful. gone is the traditional deep sky blue for ugly grey

— cj papa (@cjpapa13) November 2, 2014

Non-sellout streak ends at 1. Full house announced for #SJSharks-NYI at 17,562.

— David Pollak (@PollakOnSharks) November 2, 2014

Phoenix International Raceway announces all grandstand tickets sold out for next Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race.

— Jim Utter (@jim_utter) November 2, 2014

Adidas are monitoring the relation between Barcelona and Nike and could make Barcelona an offer. Puma and Warrior other kit options. [md]

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) October 31, 2014