The New Year's Six bowls saw a 13% drop in TV overnight ratings from last year due to "lopsided games and playing the College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year's Eve for the first time." CFP Exec Dir Bill Hancock said, "That decline, frankly, is not much of a surprise and it's modest. It's too soon to know how much was due to the lopsided games or how much what I think we all thought would be an inevitable decline from the excitement of the first year or the semifinals on New Year's Eve." ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Scheduling Burke Magnus, noting the 24.2-point average margin of victory for the games, said, "The numbers this year were obviously impacted by the unbalanced scores of these games" (AP, 1/2).

SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote the college football public "has spoken loudly: New Years Eve is not a popular choice for the College Football Playoff semifinals." The Clemson-Oklahoma Orange Bowl "was down 45% in viewership versus last year," while the Alabama-Michigan State Cotton Bowl "was down 34.4%" (SI.com, 1/1).

CBSSports.com's Jon Solomon wrote college football's New Year's Six bowl games for the second straight year were a "total bore." This time, they were also a "historic bore" (CBSSPORTS.com, 1/2). Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel wrote scheduling the semifinals on New Year's Eve was "an act of arrogance, of course, but also ignorance because the bubble in which these suits exist doesn't lend to interaction with folks who have jobs that don't take place in corner offices" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/2). The Portland Oregonian's Ken Goe wrote the first year of "the great New Year's Eve experiment looks like a colossal failure." Apparently people "didn't rearrange their New Year's Eve plans just because ESPN told them to" (OREGONLIVE.com, 12/2).

Conditions for the Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium "were just about perfect" with gray skies and cold temperatures, "but not so cold to ruin the party." The Bruins had a "big hand in producing the least competitive Winter Classic in the game’s eight-year history," losing 5-1 to the Canadiens in front of 67,246 fans (BOSTON HERALD, 1/2). The game was a "party, a happening, of epic proportions." The event itself "again was a success" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/2). The NHL has "nailed the Classic to near perfection since its debut" in '08. The site "worked," and the construction and ice surface "performed right to textbook specs." What this event "will never get right, however, is the scale of the mind’s eye for watching hockey." However, there is no "denying that the entire Classic event is a celebration of the sport, which is why it continues to be a fan success and huge dollar draw" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/2).

The Montreal Gazette's Stu Cowan wrote the Winter Classic "really is a show." Cowan: "It was special. It was different. When you're there in person it really is an 'event'" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 1/2).

The Dolphins "moved on" from GM Dennis Hickey yesterday, a "move that many saw as inevitable" once Exec VP/Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum became his boss last January. The Dolphins went 13-18 under Hickey (MIAMI HERALD, 1/3). The Dolphins will be "searching for a new general manager and a head coach this offseason" (ESPN.com, 1/2). Word has been "brewing for a few weeks that Hickey would not make it past Monday, the day after the regular season wraps up, but clearly the team felt it had to get the jump on things" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/2). NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the Dolphins fired Hickey "after he did not accept a lower role in the scouting department." The expectation is that College Scouting Dir Chris Grier will "assume the role of GM, a move that is likely to be finalized on Monday" ("NFL GameDay First," NFL Network, 1/3).

Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam "seems inclined to 'blow things up'' and fire" coach Mike Pettine and GM Ray Farmer as early as tonight. Sources said that Haslam has "already been laying the groundwork for their replacements" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 1/3). There is no agreement for former Packers GM Ron Wolf to "work as a consultant" for the Browns (ESPNCLEVELAND.com, 1/3).

The NFL's Committee on L.A. Opportunities, along with the league's stadium and finance committees, are "set to meet Wednesday and Thursday" in N.Y., according to sources. That meeting is "ahead of the mandatory ownership meeting that remains scheduled" for Jan. 12-13 in Houston, where a vote on whether any teams will move to L.A. is "still expected" (CBSSPORTS.com, 1/1).

Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said, “The deadline to file relocation papers to Los Angeles is tomorrow and I'm told all three organizations -- the Chargers, Rams, and Raiders -- will file those papers tomorrow. I'm also told that the Rams will not accept the St. Louis stadium plan, that is something the league will have to deal with. I’m also told that heading into the January 12th meeting that no side right now is set to get 24 votes. So, there will need to be a compromise to make it happen” (“NFL GameDay Morning,” NFL Network, 1/3).

Robbie Lawler recorded his second welterweight title defense at UFC 195 yesterday by defeating challenger Carlos Condit by split decision "after five entertaining, back-and-forth rounds inside MGM Grand Garden Arena." Talk of a rematch of the fight, which "drew a reported audience of 10,300, began immediately after it concluded" (ESPN.com, 1/2). Lawler and Condit "put on a bout for the ages," and the final round was "something out of a movie script" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/3).

Suns Owner Robert Sarver and former NBAer Steve Nash are "partnering in the purchase" of Spain's Segunda Division club Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, according to sources. Sarver, Nash and their group have been "trying for months to purchase" a soccer club in Spain. Spanish reports say Sarver's consortium is "set to become maximum shareholder, having proposed a major overhaul at the club" (ESPNFC.us, 1/1).

Major League Gaming's BOD has "approved an asset purchase agreement that gives Activision Blizzard 'substantially all' of the company's assets." In addition to these changes, MLG co-Founder & CEO Sundance DiGiovanni has reportedly "been replaced" by MLG's former CFO Greg Chisholm. MLG "was founded" in '02 by DiGiovanni and Activision Blizzard Senior VP/eSports Mike Sepso. Activision Blizzard "recently appointed" former ESPN and NFL Network CEO Steve Bornstein to Chair of its new eSports division (IGN.com, 1/1).

NBA official Joey Crawford will retire after this season, his 39th. He said, "I'm done" (DELAWARE COUNTY DAILY TIMES, 1/1).

Agent Leigh Steinberg signed "one of the top NFL draft prospects," Univ. of Memphis QB Paxton Lynch (CHRON.com, 1/1).

NFL Panthers Dir of Stadium Operations Scott Paul said that he and his staff "did not need to re-sod the field" at Bank of America Stadium for today's game against the Buccaneers following Wednesday's Belk Bowl. He said, "We're really happy with the way it performed" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/2).

NBC’s Sheinelle Jones said Bills officials “put out a call for help when more than a foot of snow fell on the stands" before today’s game against the Jets (“Today,” NBC, 1/3).

The roof of Texas Tech's Athletic Training Center "deflated on Thursday night due to Winter Storm Goliath." No one was injured (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/1).

Time Warner Cable, AT&T and DirecTV are "among the providers bumping up prices" this month, citing "increased programming costs and expensive technology upgrades" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/31).

The NLL's season-opening Georgia Swarm-Colorado Mammoth game drew 15,090 at Pepsi Center yesterday (THE DAILY).

"Toronto has the most diverse fan base in the league by far. Just walk around the Air Canada Centre during a Raptor game. It’s the United Nations" – Raptors broadcaster Jack Armstrong, on the team's appeal in its diverse home city (GLOBE & MAIL, 1/1).

"When I walked out on the field and I saw the 70,000 people, and it was snowing, it almost took my breath away, and I said, 'This is going to be great'" – NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, on Friday's Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium (ESPN.com, 1/2).

"I don't think there is any shortcut to it. I know there is a lot of other people in the league that think there is, there's instant; in two weeks everything is going to change. I don't buy into that" – Patriots coach Bill Belichick, on NFL teams making coaching changes (ESPN.com, 12/31).

With the '16 Baseball HOF class set to be announced Wednesday, the HOUSTON CHRONICLE's Brian Smith writes suspicion of PED use "should not keep" former MLBer Jeff Bagwell from being inducted. Suspicion "gets filtered through the almighty character clause," and some of the "biggest names in recent memory are forced to keep disputing what was never proved."

Meanwhile, the CHICAGO TRIBUNE's Paul Sullivan pondered how new rules for BBWAA voter eligibility might "affect selections," while ESPN.com's Buster Olney wrote baseball writers should not be the HOF's "moral gatekeepers." Finally, the N.Y. POST's Joel Sherman questions why so many voters are "releasing their Hall of Fame ballots publicly" ahead of the announcement.

Elsewhere:

• New England native Tim Neverett returns home for Red Sox broadcast job.
• Should Cavaliers F LeBron James have spoken out about Tamir Rice's death?
• CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: "Thank Goodness Chicago Won’t Host the 2016 Olympics."
• From a "flawed roster to ill-timed errors," how it all came apart for the Eagles.
• Zack Greinke tops the list of "MLB’s most interesting people" in ’16.
• Levi’s Stadium's Super Bowl 50 tour is "better than actually attending a Super Bowl."
• A "journey through the alphabet to help understand the next 12 months” in MLB.
• Meet the man flying anti-Jed York banners over Levi's Stadium.

I'm a Globe employee. I'm also a reader angry with 0 papers at home this week. I'll be out helping to get you Sunday's Globe. Stay with us.

— Fluto Shinzawa (@GlobeFluto) January 3, 2016

A similar CFP ratings decline next year would result in changes. But I think next year's ratings will rebound. https://t.co/SPC2W5qWJp

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) January 2, 2016

Thing is the ratings will get better. The games will be good sometimes and not so good other times, but this NYE plan will always be flawed.

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) January 3, 2016

Worst part of every Winter Classic is when the Blackhawks show up because it's an NHL outdoor game and they just assumed they were playing.

— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) January 1, 2016

So psyched to be here. @NUMensBball #B1GCats pic.twitter.com/VD2JEYVkdP

— Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) January 3, 2016