​The Broncos announced this morning that five-time MVP winner Peyton Manning "is retiring," with a news conference scheduled tomorrow to "discuss his stepping away from the game after 18 seasons." Manning called the Broncos last night to "inform them he would be retiring." The news conference "had been previously scheduled, but the Broncos didn't know what Manning's decision would be until he made the call." ESPN's Chris Mortensen first reported the news (ESPN.com, 3/6). Manning's $19M salary for '16 "would have become guaranteed Tuesday." His departure before the fifth season of his deal "costs the Broncos" $2.5M as applied to the salary cap (DENVERPOST.com, 3/6). 

The INDIANAPOLIS STAR's Zak Keefer writes in Super Bowl 50, the "Football Gods finally got it right" by sending Manning out a winner. Keefer: "No player deserved it more" (INDYSTAR.com, 3/6). However, Manning will "walk away with uncharacteristically ugly questions hovering over him." There was the "Al Jazeera report of HGH use," as well as a "decades-old incident that allegedly involved him" that surfaced in a lawsuit against his alma mater, the Univ. of Tennessee (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/6).

Donald Trump arrived for the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship just after 1:15pm ET today. Trump landed at Trump National Doral aboard his own helicopter and proceeded to meet with players Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy on the driving range. Golf Channel's Terry Gannon said, "One compelling figure. ... Through the years presidents have played in pro-ams, but never anything like this" (WGC-Cadillac Championship, Golf Channel, 3/6). Meanwhile, Secret Service agents were "crawling all over Trump Doral" this morning (TWITTER.com, 3/6). 

Despite Trump's expected appearance, the atmosphere at Doral this week has been "dull and sleepy with small crowds and little buzz." There were "no roars," and there were "few people even following" the Thursday threesome of McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, the top three players in the world. If the PGA Tour is going to stay at Doral, it "needs to return it to a place where people want to come to watch one of its biggest events with the best players" (N.Y. POST, 3/5).

A crowd of 14,697 paid $8.1M to watch Nate Diaz upset Conor McGregor last night in UFC 196 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas (THE DAILY). Diaz submitted McGregor in the second round. Meanwhile, Miesha Tate "pulled off a stunning comeback" to submit Holly Holm in the fifth round (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 3/6). Despite the big upsets, the UFC "crapped out" last night. The results were "nothing the bottom line wanted; this despite" an $8.1M gate and what UFC President Dana White was "claiming would be a huge pay-per-view number." That payout will "be a nice salve, but the wound is still there" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/6).

The Rams met for the first time in L.A. on Friday, and about 80% of players "currently on the roster attended." Players "watched the same video presentation of the new Inglewood stadium shown during an introductory news conference a month ago, listened to a discussion of the do's and don'ts by local law enforcement officials and heard an overview from team officials on how the Rams will help players transition" during the relocation process (ESPNLA.com, 3/4). Players were "informed that they would have off-season workouts in Oxnard, and that they probably would have training camp at UC Irvine and in-season workouts in the Thousand Oaks area" (L.A. TIMES, 3/5).

The NHL today announced that the Jets "will host" the Oilers in the '16 Heritage Classic. The game is expected to be played at Investors Group Field, the home of the CFL Blue Bombers. Though the Jets were scheduled to host an outdoor game this season, the NHL "couldn't come to an agreement with the Blue Bombers." The Winnipeg Heritage Classic "is the first outdoor game to be revealed" for next season, and the NHL "plans several events to commemorate its 100th anniversary" during the '17 calendar year (AP, 3/5).

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday said that he "reached an agreement" with FanDuel in which it will "stop accepting paid entries" for its games in the state by May 2. However, DraftKings said that it "would fight Paxton's effort" to stop DFS. DraftKings "filed a petition for a declaratory judgement in Dallas County District Court seeking a ruling" on whether DFS games are legal in Texas. DraftKings attorney Randy Mastro in a written statement "called the petition 'unavoidable' and maintained the company's position" that DFS contests are "games of skill that comply with state law" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/5).

Meanwhile, DFS companies "would be regulated by the Indiana Gaming Commission under a measure state lawmakers approved Friday." The Indiana Senate "voted 34-10 to endorse the proposal, sending it" to Gov. Mike Pence for consideration (AP, 3/4).

Mets Senior Media Relations Dir Shannon Forde died Friday at the age of 44 "after a long battle with breast cancer." She was a "beloved part of the Mets for more than two decades." Forde was "diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer" in August '12, but "waged a dignified fight" against the disease (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/5). 

A source said that former Texas A&M AD Eric Hyman "will take over" as Auburn COO on an interim basis. Hyman takes over for David Benedict, who left Auburn to become UConn's AD. It is "not known if Hyman will stay on in a full-time role." The temporary move is similar to a strategy Auburn AD Jay Jacobs utilized in '13, when former Ole Miss AD Pete Boone "served as a consultant within the department" (AL.com, 3/5).

Ten Dynamo matches will be televised on UniMas Houston this season, with six being shown nationally. The agreement is the "first local partnership" between UniMas and MLS (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 3/5). 

Tag Heuer, the official timekeeper of MLS, runs a full-page ad in today's N.Y. Times touting the beginning of the season (THE DAILY). 

UCLA yesterday unveiled a "monument to Jackie Robinson on its Westwood campus." The monument is a "42-inch bronze '42.'" A plaque on the monument features a famous quote by Robinson (L.A. TIMES, 3/6).

"We're exploring many ideas in improving conditions for player development, and raising the draft age is one of many things that we're looking at, and those discussions remain very preliminary" – Hockey HOFer Pat LaFontaine, on the league exploring the possibility of raising the draft age from 18 to 19 (ESPN.com, 3/5).

"We wish that program all the success in the world. If we're never on it, that's just fine with us. Nothing new there" – Bears Chair George McCaskey, appearing on WSCR-AM, reaffirming the team's long-held stance on HBO's "Hard Knocks" (CHICAGOSUNTIMES.com, 3/4).

"To see what Bryan is fighting every day, it's unbelievable. He's such a strong man. And to still be active in what he does in the day-to-day operation? It's unbelievable. It puts that much more fight in us" – Senators F Chris Neil, on team Exec VP, GM & President of Hockey Operations Bryan Murray, who is battling cancer (TORONTO STAR, 3/5).

"The risk is real, but I don't think that risk is high enough for me to cause me to change my travel plans" – USOC CEO Scott Blackmun, on the Zika virus and its possible impact on the Rio Games (N.Y. TIMES, 3/5).

The N.Y. TIMES' Jeffrey Gettleman in a front-page piece reports Nike in a contract signed several years ago "agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in honorariums" to Kenya. The money was "supposed to be used to help train and support poor Kenyan athletes who dream of running their way out of poverty," but instead, it was "immediately sucked out of the federation's bank account by a handful of Kenyan officials and kept off the books." Nike has "denied any wrongdoing," but Kenyan authorities "are suspicious."

The ARIZONA REPUBLIC's Scott Bordow notes the Cactus League is "70 years old this spring." There have been "ups and downs" before settling into what it is today: 15 teams, state-of-the-art facilities and "six weeks of sunshine" that the Cactus League says pumps $554M into the Valley's economy. The Cactus League needed to overcome significant challenges to "reach this ideal state and could face an even bigger test to remain there."

Elsewhere:

• Red Sox give the term "brain trust" a new meaning.
• Chargers Special Advisor Fred Maas writes an op-ed on the team's stadium issue.
• Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman talks paying college athletes.
• How Dartmouth shaped Phillies GM Matt Klentak's baseball mind.
• Surprisingly, there is only one Hispanic manager in MLB.
• Minneapolis’s soccer stadium plans might not be realistic.
• The Clippers' last mascot was a “losing effort” 30 years ago.
• A profile on former Bulls GM Jerry Krause after 50 years on the sports scene.

There's always the chance that this is a viral ad and Manning is announcing that we are all retiring from not paying 30% off at Papa John's.

— Kevin Clark (@KevinClarkWSJ) March 6, 2016

The #Cubs set Cactus League attendance record of 15,446 on 1st home date

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 4, 2016

Know MLS Soccer Sunday is joint thing w ESPN/FS1, but odd to see ad during NASCAR practice for a game at the same time as tomorrow's race.

— Nick Bromberg (@NickBromberg) March 5, 2016

Media had to leave the #SFGiants clubhouse early today so team could hold a media training seminar.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) March 6, 2016

Our new uniforms for MLS 2016 First Kick in San Jose tomorrow... Looks a little pink in the sun. pic.twitter.com/PbVAOs1JTJ

— Corey Rockwell (@coreyrock) March 6, 2016