The Packers’ operating profit jumped 22% to $12M in the year ending March 31, 2011, largely because the team did not have to spend on players during the last three weeks of March when the lockout began. Without that effect, the team said the figure likely would have stayed flat. The Packers’ financials became a political football during the labor strife, as the club is the only one of 32 teams to publicly release its figures. Now the numbers are coming out one day after the resolution of the more than four-month-old lockout.

Net income, fueled by a jump in investment gains, rose from $5.2M to $17.1M, while overall revenues rose to $282.6M from $258M. Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy, in a conference call with reporters, attributed the rise to strong sales at Lambeau Field during the team’s Super Bowl-winning run. While the team played on the road the entire postseason, Lambeau Field is open year-round and has retail shops. Expenses also increased to $270.5M from $248.2M, a rise Murphy partially ascribed to new coaches' contracts and travel expenses tied to four away playoff games.

Murphy said the team is ready, with the new CBA soon to be in place, to invest in the expansion of Lambeau Field. The team plans a new sound system, 7,000 more seats, two new video boards, and elevators to premium seats. He did not have an estimate for the capital costs. National revenues generated by the league and distributed to the teams meant $163M for the Packers, and local revenues were $119.3M, which jumped from $104M the year before. In addition to the retail sales at Lambeau, local revenues, which had stalled in recent years, were helped by ticket price increases.

The Brady v. NFL antitrust lawsuit "has been settled," according to court documents filed with the U.S. District Court in Minnesota. Settlement of the suit is the "second step to getting football back in 2011 – now all that remains is recertification of the players as a union and the collective bargaining of the various remaining issues." The court was "advised of settlement in the matter via a telephone conference" this morning (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/26).

Meanwhile, the NFL today confirmed that it "will return to London for a fifth straight year." The Oct. 23 Buccaneers-Bears game "was in question because of the lockout" (AP, 7/26).

NBC today announced that the Chargers-Cowboys preseason game has been moved from Aug. 20 to Aug. 21 and will be televised on the net at 8:00pm ET. The NFL last week canceled the Pro Football HOF game, which was scheduled to air on NBC on Aug. 7 (NBC). The Cowboys "had discussed moving their Aug. 11 preseason opener" against the Broncos at Cowboys Stadium "back a few days" before their second game received the primetime spot (ESPNDALLAS.com, 7/26).

The NBA’s rookie transition program is the latest casualty of the league’s labor strife. The NBA announced today that the program, set for Aug. 9-11 and run jointly by the league and the NBPA, has been postponed. “Without a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players' union, we will be unable to hold RTP as originally scheduled," said NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver. “This is an important educational program for our incoming players, and it will be rescheduled once the parties agree on a CBA.” The postponement follows the cancelation of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

NBA.com’s Art Garcia on Twitter wrote, “Didn't NFL union run their own? Maybe NBA union can do the same.”

Double Eagle Holdings today said that its deal with Eagles QB Michael Vick to endorse sports nutrition company Fuse Science has been terminated since Vick “agreed on a deal with a competitor.” MusclePharm on Friday announced that it signed a three-year, exclusive partnership with Vick, two weeks after he reached a deal with Fuse. Double Eagle in a filing with the SEC today said it was an “unacceptable conflict,” and as a result “terminated the agreement” with Vick, effective yesterday (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/26).

NBC Sports Group announced that it will continue to broadcast the State Farm Bayou Classic, the annual Thanksgiving weekend game between Southern and Grambling State, through the '12 contest. As part of the deal, State Farm has extended its title sponsorship of the event. This year's game will take place Nov. 26. NBC has been the TV home of the Bayou Classic since '91. Meanwhile, the "My Bayou Classic Road Show" promotional tour gets underway tomorrow. The touring RV will make stops throughout Louisiana for three days this week (THE DAILY).

Also today, Notre Dame and Navy announced that they will continue their football series at least through '26, "which would represent the 100th consecutive year that the two programs have met on the football field" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 7/26).

EA Sports' "NCAA Football 12" video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 generated its best first two weeks at retail in franchise history with more than 700,000 units sold from July 12-26. Sales of this year's game are up 17% from sales of "NCAA Football 11" in the comparable period (Electronic Arts). 

Jamba Juice today launched its "Team Up for a Healthy America" obesity awareness campaign. Partners in the effort include the WNBA and Venus Williams (Jamba Juice Co.).

OMI Industries today announced that its Fresh Wave brand has renewed its deal as the official deodorizer for the Blackhawks. This marks the second straight year for the partnership (OMI Industries).

“It’s not a secret that guys over the years and in the history of relationships with the players’ association and the NFL, guys who are in the forefront become really expendable, and they become black-balled around the league really soon. So I’m sure my day is coming” – Ravens CB and NFLPA Exec Committee member Domonique Foxworth, saying his role as a key negotiator could adversely affect interest from teams (BALTIMORESUN.com, 7/26).

"A 10-year labor deal makes it so much easier to finance a building and go out and talk to a sponsor" – 49ers Owner Jed York, on the new CBA helping the team move closer to building a proposed stadium in Santa Clara (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/26).

"We are pretty much where we would want to be at this point in the project. The Olympic Park venues are in large part built, but there's a mountain of work still to do to turn them into sporting theatres, and the money raised to stage the games" – LOCOG CEO Sebastian Coe, on the eve of the date marking one year out from the start of the '12 London Games (REUTERS, 7/26).

"At the moment there's a 50 per cent chance that Kobe may come to Turkey. Everything will be clearer after the meeting on the 30th" – Turkish basketball team Besiktas Dir of Basketball Operations Seref Yalcin, who is meeting with representatives of Lakers G Kobe Bryant on Saturday (REUTERS, 7/26).

Jets C Nick Mangold: “Can't enter the facility until 10am. Now I have a half hour to kill. Not a great way to start the process.”

ESPN’s Ted Miller: “Welcome to Pac-12 media day... Pac-12 playing inspirational video about how awesome it is. Breakfast was good, by the way.”

Basketball HOFer Magic Johnson: “Congrats to Nick Arison, who was named CEO of the @MiamiHEAT. My friend Micky knows he's ready because he's prepared him for this moment.”

SI’s Chris Mannix: “Lot of scoffing from executives, scouts about the talk of a flood of NBA players going to Europe. ‘Total posturing,’ says one exec.”

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com. 

MLS All-Stars Juan Agudelo, Shalrie Joseph, Nick Labrocca Tally Hall and Jamison Olave will sign autographs and greet fans at the adidas Sport Performance Store in N.Y. from 4:30-5:30pm ET.

Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars,” which airs at 8:00pm ET, will feature four bakers competing for the chance to have their cupcakes featured at a VIP party honoring the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

Skateboarder/snowboarder Shaun White will appear on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” at 11:35pm ET.

HBO produces this teaser to promote its latest sports documentary, "Derek Jeter 3K," which chronicles Yankees SS Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit milestone. The film debuts Thursday at 9:00pm ET.

725 – Total number of hours NFL Network's Albert Breer spent on "stakeout" duty during the lockout. Breer spent a total of 58 days placed outside of CBA negotiation sites, for about 12.5 hours a day, by his own estimation (SI.com, 7/25).