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Sunday, Nov. 12, 2:00pm ET

Weekend Rap .... Latest News .... Hurry-Up Offense

NFL Owners Hurry To Finalize Goodell Extension Amid Jones Drama

NFL owners negotiating a contract extension for Commissioner Roger Goodell are accelerating talks to "quell an insurgent, unusually public threat" by the Cowboys' Jerry Jones to "scuttle the deal," according to sources. The owners are "pushing to complete the terms in a matter of weeks." The NFL compensation committee is meeting tomorrow to discuss "when to finish the extension." Sources said that Goodell's package was 80-90% done, with "only a handful of minor details yet to be finished" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/11). ESPN's Adam Schefter said increasingly, there are "some concerns amongst NFL owners about the terms of the contract and what it will take on in the future" (“Sunday NFL Countdown,” ESPN, 11/12). CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora said there are people advising Goodell to "sign it and sign it now." Jones has "maybe three owners tops in his corner," and the "vast majority want to move forward” (“That Other Pregame Show,” CBSSN, 11/12).

Jones on a Nov. 2 conference call with the committee said that he had "papers drawn up” to sue the league in the event that the current proposed Goodell deal was finalized. Falcons Owner Arthur Blank, who chairs the committee, said he was "shocked" and "disappointed," according to a source. Blank reportedly said in his response to Jones, "This is not the way we do things in the NFL” (SI.com, 11/12).

Some Fans, VFW Groups Plan NFL Boycotts Around Veterans Day

There is an "organized effort" around today's NFL matchups and the Veterans Day holiday to "get fans to boycott the games to protest" players kneeling during the national anthem. The American Legion national HQ said that while some members have "mentioned plans to boycott games, there is no organized effort" (INDYSTAR.com, 11/10). A Facebook group called “Boycott the NFL” is asking ticket holders to "stay home and viewers to tune out." The group had 220,000 followers "going into the weekend" (NYPOST.com, 11/11).

Woody's Roadside Tavern in Farmingdale, N.J., will "not show NFL games Sunday but instead will host a fundraiser for veterans and their families" (NJ.com, 11/11). Veterans organizations in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Lower Burrell and Jeannette "will boycott" the broadcast of Steelers-Colts. This is the "first time the Lower Burrell VFW has boycotted NFL games" (TRIBLIVE.com, 11/11).

Rams Hoping To Turn First-Half Success Into Increased Fan Support

The Rams have a 6-2 record and are in the "national conversation as a possible Super Bowl contender," but it "remains to be seen how many fans turn out to watch" today's game against the Texans. It marks the Rams' first home game since Oct. 8. Rams coach Sean McVay: "We've got to just continue to focus on trying to deliver a good product to the city and, hopefully, the fans will come up and support us." QB Jared Goff: "When you win, they come. And we have been winning, so hopefully they'll come" (L.A. TIMES, 11/12).

Alibaba Extends Deal To Sponsor Pac-12 Hoops Game In China

Alibaba Group has signed a two-year extension through '20 for its partnership to support the annual Pac-12 China Game in Shanghai, which this year featured Georgia Tech-UCLA. Alibaba will provide support in sponsorship, ticketing, advertising and marketing, as well as broadcast production and distribution rights in mainland China (Pac-12). The Pac-12 announced next year's game "would be a matchup" between Cal and Yale. Meanwhile, the Ball family is "being filmed while in China for the Facebook reality show 'Ball in the Family.'" The family is "scheduled to leave Sunday morning for Hong Kong, where the family's Big Baller Brand is opening a pop-up shop on Tuesday" (ESPN.com, 11/11).

Meanwhile, sources said that the three UCLA men's basketball players arrested on shoplifting charges Tuesday --  including LiAngelo Ball -- will "remain in Hangzhou, China, and are not with the team on its flight" back to L.A. (ESPN.com, 11/11). Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said of the incident, "It’s certainly very unfortunate and very disappointing to me as commissioner of the conference, when we’re guests in another country, guests of our partners, that any of our students should be involved in this incident" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 11/11).

UMass, Dartmouth Victorious In Football's Return To Fenway Park

Fenway Park this weekend hosted the first part of its Fenway Gridiron Series, which featured Dartmouth-Brown on Friday and UMass-Maine last night "before a crowd of 12,794" (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/12). Friday's Dartmouth-Brown game was the first football contest at Fenway since Notre Dame-Boston College in '15. Dartmouth beat Brown 33-10 "before a crowd of 12,297" (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/11).

The Fenway Gridiron Series continues next weekend with Boston College-UConn. With the baseball diamond "completely covered in turf," Fenway this weekend "transformed into a football field with endzones in front of the third-base dugout and bullpens with the Green Monster serving as a backdrop." UMass CB Lee Moses: "When I came out for pregame warmups I had to stop and look around. I was like wow we're really here. It was an amazing feeling and just taking everything in." QB Andrew Ford: "They did a great job with the venue" (MASSLIVE.com, 11/11).

Felger Suspended By NBC Sports Boston After Halladay Comments

Boston-based WBZ-FM's Michael Felger was "suspended through the weekend" by NBC Sports Boston after his insensitive comments regarding the death of former MLBer Roy Halladay. While Felger was not suspended from his radio program, NBC Sports Boston "simulcasts the radio show" and also "employs Felger as a studio host." On Friday, the simulcast of the “Felger and Massarotti’’ radio show was replaced "by a replay of Monday’s Celtics-Hawks game." Felger also "missed Friday’s 'Early Edition' program on NBC Sports Boston, of which he is one of three hosts." He also will be "absent from the network’s pre- and postgame Patriots programming" (BOSTON.com, 11/10).

UCF Hopes New Facility Will Help Keep Football Coach Scott Frost

UCF is working to "push its facilities to a Power 5 level and hopefully keep" football coach Scott Frost "around for a while." UCF is 9-0, and AD Danny White yesterday prior to the school's game with UConn "led a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate construction on the new Roth Athletics Center." The two-story, 38,000-square-foot building will also "house the school's hall of fame honors, the Golden Knights operations and Olympic sports coaches such as the men's and women's soccer staff" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 11/12). Meanwhile, an announced crowd of 29,384 attended yesterday's game (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 11/12).


Curry Pens Ode To Military, Talks Athlete Protests And Reactions

Warriors G Stephen Curry discussed both the importance of Veterans Day and athletes with social platforms on The Players' Tribune. Curry wrote each veteran he has spoken with has said "pretty much the same thing." Curry: "That this conversation we’ve started to have in the world of sports ... whether it’s been Colin [Kaepernick] kneeling, or entire NFL teams finding their own ways to show unity ...  it’s the opposite of disrespectful to them." Curry: "A lot of them have said, that even if they don’t totally agree with every position of every person, this is exactly the thing that they fought to preserve." Curry: "Let’s respect -- let’s celebrate -- our veterans. ... Let’s talk about how we can do better, to make their lives easier" (THEPLAYERSTRIBUNE.com, 11/11).

Curry’s article "particularly resonated with" Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who shared the piece on Twitter. Kerr: "It was beautiful. I thought he hit the nail on the head" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/12).

Wofford Basketball Debuts Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium

NFL Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson was at Wofford Univ. on Friday for the opening of Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, as the basketball arena debuted before a "sold-out crowd." The ivory facade arena was "paid for by donations from Richardson, along with his wife, Rosalind." ESPN's Wendy Nix, a Wofford alum who sits on the school's BOT, would "rank the sparkling new 3,400-seat, spacious venue in Spartanburg right up there with any she has attended." Nix: “To have a facility like this at a campus this size, it’s unprecedented. It’s so exciting. In all fairness, you can have bigger and you have grander, but I don’t think you can have better anywhere in the country" (GOUPSTATE.com, 11/10).

  

"SNL" Pokes Fun At Trials And Tribulations Of Ball Family

The “Weekend Update” segment on last night's "SNL" featured cast member Kenan Thompson playing the role of LaVar Ball, with Thompson noting Lakers G Lonzo Ball is "going to win the dunk contest, the three-point shooting contest, every single power ball jackpot, and he will be named America's next top model, all while wearing the signature ZO2s.” Asked how the ZO2 was selling, Thompson said, “None of your business. Right now I'm focused on my TV show, ‘Ball and the Family.’ It’s the biggest show in the world" (“SNL,” NBC, 11/11).

Speed Reads....

Officials "expect a sellout" for tonight's Canada-USWNT friendly at San Jose's Avaya Stadium at 6:00pm PT, the "last game of the year" for the U.S. squad (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/12).

Last night's Notre Dame-Miami game at Hard Rock Stadium was played before an "ecstatic crowd of 65,303." No. 7 UM beat No. 3 Notre Dame 41-8 (MIAMI HERALD, 11/12).

Sources said that ESPN's Jon Gruden returning to coach the Buccaneers after this season is "hardly out of the question," as several NFL sources believe he will "actually leave the booth" this year (CBSSPORTS.com, 11/12).

Bellator MMA will "host an eight-man heavyweight tournament" in '18 called the World Grand Prix. The tournament will unfold over the course of '18, with the finals "hopefully taking place prior to the end of the year" (ESPN.com, 11/10).

Boxer Jose Ramirez last night defeated Mike Reed "before a frenzied crowd of 13,838" at the Save Mart Center on Fresno State's campus (ESPN.com, 11/12).

Longtime Texas A&M football radio play-by-play man Dave South last night was in the booth for the "final time at Kyle Field" for the school's game with New Mexico. He will "no longer call football or men's basketball games" after this year (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/12).

Quick Hits....

"An awesome day for our university. For our university, for our football program and for South Florida" -- Miami AD Blake James, following the school's 41-8 home win yesterday over No. 3 Notre Dame (MIAMI HERALD, 11/12).

"I'm worried. It was right that the American owners needed time to understand what F1 is -- but that time is about to expire" -- Mercedes Chair Niki Lauda, on his concern about the direction of F1 under new owner Liberty Media (ESPN.com, 11/12).

“The current contract for ‘Thursday Night Football’ expires at the end of the season. That contract was for $900 million over two years so that's one reason you would imagine that it's not going away” -- ESPN’s Tony Reali, on “TNF” (“GMA,” ABC, 11/12).

"I never say never, but I find it hard to envision a scenario where it makes sense unless, possibly, the Winter Games are back in North America where the time frame, and the attention, and the logistics -- travel -- are a lot different" -- NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, on the league possibly skipping out on all future Winter Olympics that are not held in North America (SBNATION.com, 11/11).

Sunday Comic....

A sneak preview of SportsBusiness Journal's weekly editorial cartoon:

Weekend Hot Reads....

The N.Y. TIMES writes under the header, "How The 'Shalane Flanagan Effect' Works." Flanagan became the first American woman to win the TCS N.Y. Marathon in 40 years, but her "bigger accomplishment lies in nurturing and promoting the rising talent around her, a rare quality in the cutthroat world of elite sports." Every one of her training partners -- 11 women in total -- has "made it to the Olympics while training with her, an extraordinary feat." 

SI.com goes with, "Shohei Otani's Arrival In America Won't Come With A Fair Contract." Any foreign player under the age of 25 is subject to MLB signing restrictions, and Otani -- who turned 23 in July -- is thus "limited in how much he can sign for by how much teams have available" in their international bonus pool.

Elsewhere:

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Today's Back Pages....

The Weekend Rap offers today's back page sports covers from some of North America's major metropolitan tabloids:

 N.Y. Post  N.Y. Daily News Newsday   Boston HeraldChicago Sun-Times

Hit The Ground Running: The Week Ahead

THE DAILY’s Week Ahead: Nov. 13-19.

MONDAY

• WTA Taipei OEC Open begins (Taiwan)
• Hockey HOF induction ceremony (Brookfield Place, Toronto)
 
TUESDAY
• NCAA men’s college basketball Champions Classic (United Center, Chicago)

THURSDAY
• PGA Tour RSM Classic (Sea Island Resort, Ga.)
• LPGA CME Group Tour Championship (Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.)
• NCAA men’s college basketball 2K Classic tournament begins (Madison Square Garden)
 
FRIDAY

• NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 (Homestead-Miami Speedway)
 
SATURDAY
• NASCAR Xfinity Series Ford EcoBoost 300 (Homestead-Miami Speedway)
• UFC Fight Night 121: Fabricio Werdum vs. Marcin Tybura (Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia) 
• NCAA men’s college basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament begins (Uncasville, Conn.)
 
SUNDAY
• Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (Homestead-Miami Speedway) (NASCAR season finale)

If you know of any events that should be in our calendar, send them to us at mmiceli@sportsbusinessdaily.com.