TBS on Friday averaged 5.02 million viewers for its two NLDS games, marking the net’s best opening day of LDS coverage. Cubs-Cardinals in the early primetime window drew 5.38 million viewers, marking the most-viewed NLDS Game 1 since ’08. The game drew a 27.8 local rating in St. Louis, which is the market’s best for an LDS Game 1 on record (dating back to ’98). Mets-Dodgers Game 1 in the late window drew 4.71 million viewers, up from the comparable LDS telecasts in ’14 and ’13. The game drew a 10.1 local rating in N.Y., the market’s best figure for any Mets game since ’12.

Meanwhile, MLB Network on Friday afternoon drew 1.6 million viewers for Game 2 of the Rangers-Blue Jays ALDS, which went 14 innings. That figure is MLB Net’s second-best game audience on record. The game drew a 5.4 local rating in Dallas-Ft. Worth, which is MLB Net’s best figure for a game in the market. The game also marked Rogers Sportsnet's most watched program ever.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was postponed last night because of "rain that swept through the Charlotte area," and instead started today at 12:30pm ET. The race was called last night at 6:55pm, just "26 minutes before" it was scheduled to start (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/11). NBC had coverage of the race last night, and the net's desire to get "Saturday Night Live" started on time at 11:30pm reportedly was "a major factor" in the decision to call the event when they did (TWITTER.com, 10/10). Today's race coverage was moved to NBCSN, while NBC aired tape-delayed coverage of the Presidents Cup golf event (THE DAILY).

Meanwhile, the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER ran a feature under the header, "NASCAR Driver Jeff Gordon Set For Last Race At Home Track In Charlotte." Elsewhere, NASCAR debuted a new 30-second spot around Gordon's final race at CMS.

The U.S. men's national soccer team last night fell to Mexico "in a wild CONCACAF Cup, played before a crowd of 93,723 at the Rose Bowl." Despite organizers boasting that the sold-out stadium "would be evenly split, the Rose Bowl was a sea of green and red, with Mexican fans outnumbering the Americans 2 to 1 in the second-largest crowd for a U.S. national team game at home, trailing only the Americans’ final group-play game" from the '94 FIFA World Cup. U.S. MF Michael Bradley: "It was very, very, very pro-Mexican. That’s just reality" (L.A. TIMES, 10/11).

High-ranking NFL officials, many of whom have "spent the last few years changing the way the league handles domestic violence and sexual assaults, were less than pleased" with Cowboys DE Greg Hardy's first public comments since returning from his suspension. Hardy earlier this week used the term "guns blazing" and mentioned Patriots QB Tom Brady's wife, model Gisele Bundchen. NFL VP/Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson today in a statement said Hardy's comments "do not reflect the values of the league" (NFL.com, 10/11). The NFL previously had "said nothing" about Hardy's comments, but with today's statement, the league "has broken its silence" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 10/11).

The Islanders’ opener against the Blackhawks on Friday night, the team's first regular-season game as a tenant of Barclays Center, "received mixed reviews from the fans in attendance." One fan with a limited-view seat said, "I took a chance, but this is horrible. This stadium is not made for hockey, plain and simple" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/10). Though the game was "listed as a sellout, the lower bowl had many rows of empty seats." Islanders Owner Charles Wang, who at the end of the season will transition into a minority role, was joined in a pregame ceremony by "future majority owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/10).

In an "emotional, poignant reaction" to the resolution of the contract saga involving former C Mike Richards, NHL Kings GM Dean Lombardi "called what happened to Richards 'a tragedy.'" Richards in June was arrested at the Canadian border and later charged with possession of Oxycodone. The Kings and the NHLPA "avoided going to arbitration" regarding Richards' contract, "reaching an agreement Friday." Lombardi addressed the issue in a statement, saying, "Without a doubt, the realization of what happened to Mike Richards is the most traumatic episode of my career."

Lombardi: "At times, I think that I will never recover from it. It is difficult to trust anyone right now -- and you begin to question whether you can trust your own judgment. The only thing I can think of that would be worse would be suspecting your wife of cheating on you for five years and then finding out in fact it was true." He added, "Anyone close enough to me knows how much I loved Mike Richards" (L.A. TIMES, 10/10).

With yesterday's LSU-South Carolina football game moved to Baton Rouge amid flooding in the Columbia area, Tiger Stadium "may have felt like home" to South Carolina fans attending the game. LSU's videoboards "sported South Carolina’s state flag," while fans "showed their support for the people of South Carolina by donating to American Red Cross members stationed at every entrance." The game was played in front of a crowd of 42,058, "an uncommon sight for players used to nearly 100,000" at Tiger Stadium. LSU "closed off the entire east-side upper deck, and the south end zone was virtually empty save a few scattered fans" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 10/11).

Meanwhile, the NCAA last night announced that LSU RB Leonard Fournette "will be allowed" to auction his jersey with proceeds going to the flood victims. There "had been some question over whether NCAA amateurism rules forbid Fournette from auctioning the No. 7 jersey in which he made history by becoming the fastest to 1,000 yards in a season for LSU" (ESPN.com, 10/10).

Leonard Fournette can auction his jersey for SC flood victims.

— NCAA (@NCAA) October 11, 2015

The Hornets opened their slate of NBA Global Games in China this morning with a win over the Clippers at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center, and the buzz created by Hornets G Jeremy Lin "is palpable." Lin, who is of Chinese descent, addressed his popularity in the country, saying, "If I am in China I always have a personal body guard, and if I’m making an appearance I’ll always have a team of security." Both today's game and Wednesday's game, also against the Clippers, "were quick sellouts despite the court-side seats being priced at about $500 each" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/11).

The fledgling National Women’s Hockey League today "will drop the puck on its inaugural season," with all four teams in action. The Connecticut Whale "will host the New York Riveters in Stamford, Conn., while the Boston Pride will visit the Buffalo Beauts." The teams "will play 18 games apiece, all on weekends." The league "has received funding from private sponsors along with the NWHL Foundation, which directly supports the league as well as girls’ youth hockey" (SI.com, 10/10).

Women's hockey has "grown tremendously in the past two decades," and today is "another step" in that growth. Players hope that salaries "can reach a point where the bulk of them can bid adieu to other part- or full-time jobs" (USAHOCKEY.com, 10/8).

Today's Bank of America Chicago Marathon drew "more than 45,000 runners" (ABC7CHICAGO.com, 10/11). Chicago's warmer weather presented "less than ideal" conditions today, with temperatures forecasted "in the 60s for the majority of the race." National Weather Service Meteorologist Amy Seeley said, "Obviously it's warmer than usual for this time of year" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/10).

Oaktree Capital Management "is running into unexpected competition in its bid to gain control" of Quiksilver. A source said that the distressed investor’s turnaround plan "calls for combining Quiksilver with Billabong" (N.Y. POST, 10/10).

The Lerner family, which owns the Nationals, last week "broke their silence" over the team's failure to make the playoffs by releasing a statement on the team's website. The letter, which was signed by eight owners, read, "One thing we've all learned together is that this game will break your heart" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/10).

The USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships and the USA Open Volleyball Championships "will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center" in '17, marking the "first time the organization has hosted two of its three major championships in the same city in the same year" (STARTRIBUNE.com, 10/9).

Last night's UConn-UCF game at Bright House Networks Stadium drew a crowd of 26,669, "the lowest at a home game" for UCF "since Nov. 25, 2011" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 10/11).

NFL Jets WR Brandon Marshall ran yesterday's Brooklyn Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon to highlight "his non-profit organization Project 375" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/11).

"We are going to stay focused on pace of play, but in terms of the disciplinary aspects of the program, warnings and things like that, it's just not appropriate in the postseason" – MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, on not enforcing pace-of-play punishments during the playoffs (AP, 10/9).

"I enjoy winning, but more importantly I enjoy the people I'm around. The people here are just fabulous to be around, and I know some of these people here for a long time. ... This is a fun place to work. They've done a great job with diversity in our front office. They've hired the best of the best. And it's produced results" – Warriors Exec Board Member and Basketball HOFer Jerry West, on his role with the franchise (ESPN.com, 10/9).

"It’s very important the playoffs are the playoffs and the focus should be the teams and strictly what they are doing. All the other things about what goes on during the season, about specific things on a club, I don’t even comment on" – MLB agent Scott Boras, on his recent clashes with the Mets over his client, P Matt Harvey (N.Y. POST, 10/10).

The INDIANAPOLIS STAR's Zak Keefer writes NCAA VP/Regulatory Affairs Oliver Luck traces his "winding, serendipitous career" with a "surprising sense of humility." Luck "works, quietly and efficiently, refusing to rest on past triumphs or envision future stops." The opportunities "simply arise, one after another, like dream jobs falling from the sky." All the while he "keeps plugging along, fixed only on the challenge before him." That is Luck: "Outwardly calm, innately driven."

Elsewhere: 

• A look back at the Pac-12's history as the conference celebrates its centennial.
• The NWHL's N.Y. Riveters aim to build a "legacy of inclusion and equality."
• NFL tech chief McKenna-Doyle discusses league's arsenal of media platforms.
• Celtics a "global franchise" that has touched "many people in so many places."

4 highly regarded @Grantland33 staffers turned in resignations today to @ESPN and will be going to work for @BillSimmons

— James Andrew Miller (@JimMiller) October 9, 2015

College football has been NFLized. No great teams anymore. Still love it, tho.

— Nick Canepa (@sdutCanepa) October 11, 2015

Highly enjoyable night at the Rose Bowl. Looking forward now to washing beer out of my five-year-old's hair. Good times. #USAvMEX

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) October 11, 2015

ESPN radio subbing @FlemmingDave for Chris Berman for rest of #Rangers-#BlueJays series. He's real good. Think Lou Gehrig for Wally Pipp.

— Barry Horn (@bhorn55) October 10, 2015