EPL club Tottenham Hotspur today announced that HP will be the club's principal partner and shirt sponsor for the '13-14 season. The deal is formally a one-year extension of its agreement with Autonomy, which has been a sponsor since '10 and was acquired by HP in '11 (Tottenham). The club also unveiled its '13-14 home and away kit, which shows HP returning as a shirt sponsor, as it was from '95-99. This is Under Armour's "second season of supplying the club" with its kits (DAILYMAIL.co.uk, 7/8).

U.S. District Court Judge Anita Brody, who is hearing the consolidated concussion lawsuits brought by more than 4,800 former NFLers, this afternoon ordered the parties into mediation, just two weeks before she had said she would rule on the league’s motion to dismiss the case. Retired U.S. District Court Judge Layn Phillips has been appointed mediator, and he will report back to the federal court on or before Sept. 3. Brody wrote in her order she would not rule on the motion to dismiss until that date. Brody also placed a gag order on the parties now that the case is in mediation.

In her order, Brody indicated the two sides agreed to mediation. “I held an informal exploratory telephone conference with lead counsel,” she wrote. “As a consequence, I order parties, through their lead counsel, to engage in mediation to determine if consensual resolution is possible.” The NFL in a statement said, "We respect and will comply with the Court’s order regarding mediation and will be available to meet with Judge Phillips at his direction."

China's Shanshan Feng, the world's No. 6 ranked female golfer, has signed an endorsement deal with the Commerce Hotel & Casino. The deal was negotiated on Commerce's behalf by Raleigh-based marketing agency PSE-3. Feng last year became the first golfer from mainland China to win a women's or men's major at the Wegmans LPGA Championship. The Commerce, located outside L.A., touts itself as the world's largest poker casino. In addition to displaying the Commerce brand on her clothing, Feng will make several personal appearances for Commerce during the '13 season.

Lexus today announced that it has signed a three-year deal with the ATP World Tour's BB&T Atlanta Open, designating it as the official tournament vehicle for the '13, '14 and '15 events. Lexus vehicles will transport players around the U.S. Open Series event, and the automaker will be the title sponsor of courtside seating, with the first two rows named the Lexus Inner Circle. The auto brand also will provide a VIP parking lot for all Lexus owners (Lexus).

An EA Sports spokesperson today said that former Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez has been removed from the "NCAA Football 14" and "Madden NFL 25" video games and that he "showed up temporarily because of the timing involved in publishing NCAA 14." The spokesperson said, "Because 'NCAA Football 14' was finalized prior to our decision, Hernandez' image still appears in the Nike Skills Trainer. However, he is not in the game. ... The image of Hernandez will be removed via a Title Update" (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/8).

Meanwhile, Patriots Owner Robert Kraft offered his first public comments on the Hernandez issue. See Quick Hits for more.

The Yankees are giving out bobbleheads "for the first time in 10 years" starting tonight with dolls in the image of SS Derek Jeter. The dolls will be handed out to the first 18,000 fans at a home game against the Royals. The Yankees later this month "will distribute a Hideki Matsui bobblehead, followed by a Yogi Berra doll in August and a Mariano Rivera version in September" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/8).

Meanwhile, the Indians for tonight's home game against the Tigers will hand out bobbleheads in the image of former MLBer Omar Vizquel to the first 10,000. Vizquel said, "This is my fifth bobblehead, and none of them look like me" (CLEVELAND.com, 7/7).

Italian beer brand Peroni Nastro Azzurro today announced that it has signed on as the official beer of the America's Cup (Peroni Nastro Azzurro).

MASN today launched "Touch 'Em All," a social media rewards program developed in partnership with Activ8Social (MASN).

Roxy, a division of Quiksilver, today announced that it has signed pro surfer Stephanie Gilmore as a new member of the Roxy Surf Team (Roxy).

"No one in our organization was aware of any of these kind of connections. If it's true, I’m just shocked. Our whole organization has been duped" – Patriots Owner Robert Kraft, in his first public comments since the arrest and subsequent release of TE Aaron Hernandez (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 7/8).

"Yeah, the fix is in, you (expletive) idiots" – UFC President Dana White, responding to questions about whether Saturday night's Chris Weidman-Anderson Silva UFC 162 bout was fixed (USATODAY.com, 7/8).

"When there's a World Cup year, it's an Adidas year" – adidas North America President Patrik Nilsson, on the company's bullish revenue projection for '14 (PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/5 issue).

"We should be thinking that all people in the pitlane are properly dressed and equipped. Everyone in the pitlane should have a helmet on" – Mercedes F1 team principal Ross Brawn, after a member of the media was injured by a loose tire in Sunday's German Grand Prix (REUTERS, 7/8).

Guardian’s Owen Gibson: "Murray has been corralled into Downing St, now EastEnders is apparently to mark his victory. He'll be beginning to wish he hadn't bothered."

Sportsnet.ca's Ben Nicholson-Smith: "Beeston also optimistic about attendance. Jays averaging 31,417. That's up 4,790 per game compared to 2012. Easily largest increase in MLB."

Univ. of Missouri DT Lucas Vincent: "I wanna buy the new NCAA game but I also don't wanna be poor till September... My likeness is on the game why do I have to pay for it?"

St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Dave Matter: "Mizzou D-lineman summons his inner O'Bannon."

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

Daytona Int'l Speedway produced this video showing highlights from the Daytona Rising event that marked the beginning of an extensive renovation project at the track.

400 – Number of commemorative Univ. of Louisville-themed Makers Mark bottles men; basketball coach Rick Pitino will sign tonight during an event at Molly Malone's Irish Pub & Restaurant in Louisville. Pitino signed 700 bottles during a June 7 event (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/8).