The relationship between the Colts and coach Chuck Pagano is "starting to resemble the inevitable divorce between the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh from a year ago." There is "growing tension" between Pagano and Colts GM Ryan Grigson, and team Owner Jim Irsay "ramped up the pressure by putting the team publicly in Super-Bowl-or-bust mode." Those "closest to Pagano believe it is inevitable that he will be coaching elsewhere" in '16 (Jason La Canfora, "The NFL Today,” CBS, 9/13). The Colts offered Pagano "a very bad contract extension this off-season" (Jay Glazer, "Fox NFL Sunday,” Fox, 9/13). Pagano last season led the Colts to the AFC Championship Game (THE DAILY).

The NFL on Friday cleared the Patriots "of any wrongdoing in connection to Steelers coaches' headsets malfunctioning during Thursday night's season opener" at Gillette Stadium. The NFL in a statement said the problem "involved no manipulation by any individual and that the Patriots had nothing to do with it." The league said that it "provides teams' communications equipment -- including coaches' headsets -- used during games." However, home teams are "responsible for installation and maintenance of that equipment" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 9/12).

Sources said that NFL Exec VP/Football Operations Troy Vincent "has formally requested to meet with Patriots equipment staffer John Jastremski and locker room attendant Jim McNally before either is reinstated by the franchise." Sources added that both men "face discipline for their role in the apparent deflation of footballs." The Patriots last week "made a written request for their reinstatement." Sources said a reinstatement "would have to include a face-to-face meeting with Vincent" (NFL.com, 9/13).

The Bills yesterday unveiled a statue of Ralph Wilson Jr. at the stadium that bears his name, showing "a smiling Wilson forever waiting with outstretched hands to meet the grasp of another fan." The late team owner's widow, Mary Wilson, said, "I think the fans are going to really enjoy it, and that’s the idea." Pegula Sports & Entertainment Exec VP/Creative Services Frank Cravotta "oversaw its design." Sculptor Jerry McKenna said that he "looked at about 200 photos" of Wilson while crafting the sculpture (BUFFALO NEWS, 9/13).

Floyd Mayweather Jr. last night retained the welterweight world title before a crowd of 13,395 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in a "one-sided rout of Andre Berto." The pro-Mayweather crowd "began to chant 'TBE' -- as in Mayweather's self-given nickname 'The Best Ever' -- during the ninth round" (ESPN.com, 9/12). Most of the fans "stood, their camera phones out, during the fight’s last 30 seconds as they tried to document the final moments of his remarkable career" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/13). Mayweather afterward "continued to insist that this was indeed his final fight." He said, "My career’s over. It’s official" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/13).

A source said that Pac-12 Networks has "rejected a proposal by DirecTV’s parent company, AT&T, that would have allowed carriage on the satellite provider but come at an enormous cost to the conference." The league’s presidents and chancellors "determined that AT&T’s requests would have compromised the networks’ business model and long-term profitability." The proposal "likely would have forced the Pac-12 Networks to redo their existing distribution deals at a lower subscription rate." AT&T is believed to have "wanted an equity stake in the networks" (MERCURYNEWS.com, 9/12).

Meanwhile, the Pac-12 on Friday released "preliminary proposals for increasing benefits for NCAA athletes." One of the concepts is to "allow its athletes to use their names, images and likenesses to promote their own non-athletic business ventures." The proposals will now "enter a review period by the NCAA D-1 council before going to a vote in January at the NCAA Convention in San Antonio" (L.A. TIMES, 9/12).

During Texas' home football game against Rice yesterday, an airplane was seen "stalking the air" around Memorial Stadium "carrying a banner with the message 'Patterson must go,'" in reference to UT men's AD Steve Patterson (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 9/12). Patterson has "come under fire" recently, as one report this summer claimed that he "cut free meals for coaches and another said he had been souring donors with his actions" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/12).

Elsewhere, a plane flew over FAU Stadium prior to Friday night's game against Miami, with a banner that read "Make Miami Great Again -- Butch Davis 2016," urging a replacement for UM coach Al Golden (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/11).

Construction "formally began" yesterday on Colorado State's new on-campus football stadium with a "groundbreaking 'celebration.'" A crowd of "close to 400 gathered at the free but ticketed shovel-turning ceremony at the stadium site." The future field "was lined and logoed, with 'Colorado State' printed in the end zone and the Ram logo at midfield." A parking lot was "lined with about 30 stadium protesters holding signs expressing their continuing opposition to the project" (Ft. Collins COLORADOAN, 9/13).

The Sharks Fan Fest yesterday saw "10,000 die-hard fans" show up at SAP Center for "photo ops with players, autographs from alumni" and the unveiling of the team's 25th Anniversary Heritage Jersey. The team "will be touting its silver anniversary" with the NHL through "a season-long celebration." At a "sold-out VIP event in the North Club, players signed autographs while the food and drinks flowed" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/13).

The city of Rome "formally submitted its bid" for the '24 Games on Friday to "mark a turnaround" after its '20 candidacy was scrapped three years ago (AP, 9/11).

Daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings CEO & co-Founder Jason Robins said that he "may be open to talking" about a merger with competitor FanDuel. He added that it "'takes two to tango,' meaning [FanDuel CEO & co-Founder] Nigel Eccles would have to bring his A-game to the talks" (N.Y. POST, 9/13).

The city of Philadelphia yesterday unveiled a "12-foot bronze statue of Hall of Fame heavyweight champion Joe Frazier" in front of Xfinity Live (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/13).

Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue "will attend" tonight's Ravens-Broncos game (ESPN.com, 9/13).

There was a "shocking number of Blue Jays fans among the crowd of 46,278" for the team's doubleheader at Yankee Stadium yesterday, an "estimated fifth of the crowd" (N.Y. POST, 9/13).

Tiger Woods "committed Friday to play" in the '15 Frys.com Open, the '15-16 PGA Tour opener, along with Rory McIlroy (GOLFWEEK.com, 9/11).

Attendance at yesterday's UMass-Colorado football game "was 35,094, the smallest crowd for a CU home opener" since '88 (DENVER POST, 9/13).

Boston-based StarGames President & CEO Jerry Solomon, a member of the N.Y.-based group that purchased the BB&T Atlanta Open, said that the tournament will "remain in Atlanta at Atlantic Station and will remain a 250-point event on the ATP World Tour" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 9/12).

The Triple-A Int'l League Charlotte Knights take out a full page in today's Charlotte Observer, including a letter thanking fans for making the team's second season at BB&T Ballpark "even more successful than the inaugural year" (THE DAILY).

Stonestreet Farms & Stables runs a full-pae ad in today's N.Y. TIMES congratulating Keen Ice for the horse's upset of American Pharoah at the Travers Stakes at Saratoga last month (THE DAILY).

"Senator Arlen Specter was so intent on using this to go after Roger Goodell, he personally actually called me and tried to, I guess coerce is the right word I could use, into giving him my copy (of the Patriots' Spygate tapes). I said, 'This is no place for Congress.' Then they threatened me" – Fox Sports' Jay Glazer (“Fox NFL Sunday,” Fox, 9/13).

"There’s something going on with respect to New England that bothers me. New England has been labeled or branded as cheaters. Even when New England does nothing wrong, that label sticks. ... Labels are dangerous. Labels are insidious. I don’t like them" – CBS Sports Network’s Amy Trask, on the perception of the Patriots organization (“That Other Pregame Show,” CBS Sports Network, 9/13).

"There's nothing there. Gillian has been great. She's new and she's new to the NBA and of course there's going to be criticism with that. But she's got our backing and she'll be fine" – Clippers coach and Senior VP/Basketball Operations Doc Rivers, shooting down a TMZ report of a rift between him and Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker (L.A. TIMES, 9/12).

"I've never even seen that before. He cares about the people, the players. I'm very proud, and I have complete respect for him, as a person and as a coach" – Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie, on claims that coach Chip Kelly makes decisions personnel based on race (ESPN.com, 9/11).

"It has been a struggle. But it was a wonderful ceremony in New York. He got so much out of it. He saw his colleagues, and people were loving him and hugging him. It was very emotional and very beautiful" – Photographer Anita Ruthling Klaussen, on her husband, longtime tennis journalist Bud Collins, attending the ceremony at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center where the U.S. Open’s media center was named in his honor (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/13).

"He was very nice. He handed it to me, no problem. He was happy and proud of doing it. We put a very nice package for him. He doesn’t want many people to know about him, so I’ve got to respect that about him" – Red Sox DH David Ortiz, on the fan who wound up with his 500th career home run ball (BOSTON HERALD, 9/13).

The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS' Bruce Selcraig examines the role of IMG Worldwide -- the "global sports marketer and talent agent that dominates its industry yet remains largely invisible to the casual fan" -- and competitors like Learfield Sports in college athletics. The companies "tap into what is already fanatical college sports devotion and team loyalty and then share the wealth with grateful, usually cash-strapped, colleges." But the focus on profit can "clash with nonprofit higher ed in many ways."

The N.Y. TIMES' John Branch wrote Serena Williams in Friday's U.S. Open semifinal loss to Roberta Vinci had "no great rival on the court" and was "left competing with historical abstract." Williams, vying for the first calendar Grand Slam since '88, "typically has unstoppable momentum" in the later stages of tournaments. But chasing the Grand Slam is "one of the great burdens in sports," and the "essential duel on Friday was Williams against herself."

Elsewhere:

• Would Notre Dame "actually turn its back" on football if it had to pay student-athletes?
• Super Bowl 50 could be the "most impressive" event in Northern California history.
• "Old school" baseball execs like the Phillies' MacPhail are "adapting" to the times.
• The Ravens enter their 20th season as one of the NFL's "steadiest franchises."
• Cowboys' Stephen Jones "no longer has to push his father" to exert influence.
• Even in "history-making days for women in sports," real progress is "often slow."
• Driver Justin Wilson's death has put IndyCar safety "under the microscope again."

Is this thing on? #BecauseItsAboutToBe

— Kim Pegula (@KimPegula) September 13, 2015

Amazing to see how small the crowd is here in St. Louis for an opener. I know fans are upset but this is a good team.

— John Clayton (@ClaytonESPN) September 13, 2015

Aldon Smith is eligible to play today, but Tom Brady had to go to court. Explain, please.

— Doug Farrar (@SI_DougFarrar) September 13, 2015

First Darryl Dawkins. Now Moses Malone. This is sad period for the NBA.

— Bob Ryan (@GlobeBobRyan) September 13, 2015

This FS1 broadcast is awful. Announcers can't tell what's going on because they aren't actually at the game.

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 12, 2015

Went to the Hornets arena for 1st time and tried convincing security im a player. She said, "what team?!?" lollll #everywhereigo #literally

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) September 12, 2015

Tickets for today's Redskins game: pic.twitter.com/RMhRCIajE5

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) September 13, 2015