Puma today announced a two-year deal with Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles, who will endorse the company's training category and appear in its Nature of Performance campaigns. A series of social media videos titled "Get To Know Jamaal" debuts on various platforms next week. Charles, an All-American track & field athlete at Texas, joins a Puma training team of endorsers that includes sprinter Usain Bolt, Vikings WR Cordarrelle Patterson, action sports star Dave Mirra and EPL club Stoke City MF Maurice Edu (Puma).

The Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia today "dealt another blow to New Jersey's efforts to legalize sports gambling," upholding a ruling that the "state's betting law conflicts with federal law and shouldn't be implemented." The case was heard by a three-judge panel, and the state "could seek to have the case re-heard by the full appeals court." But today's ruling "more likely means New Jersey's last chance to legalize sports gambling is to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case" (AP, 9/17).

The Nationals during pregame for today's makeup game against the Braves wore special Navy caps in honor of the victims of yesterday's nearby shooting. Flags on the left field concourse "flew at half-staff," and a moment of silence prior to the game "lasted nearly a minute." There were "only a few thousand fans" at Nationals Park for the game, which got underway at 1:07pm ET (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 9/17). Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chair James Winnefeld handed out the Navy caps to players and "thanked members of the organization for their assistance" (CSNWASHINGTON.com, 9/17).

The Capitals and Bruins meet tonight in the second installment of the Baltimore Hockey Classic, and there has been a "concerted effort from the staff at 51-year-old Baltimore Arena" to make the game "a better – and safer – experience for players than the last one." The '11 event was plagued by "mushy ice covered with puddles," and "whether the conditions have truly been improved will play a large part in determining whether the Capitals keep returning to Baltimore during the preseason" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/17).

Fox Sports and the WBC today announced a deal for multi-platform rights to the newly created 24-card WBC World Cup of Professional Boxing, beginning Oct. 18. The deal includes exclusive U.S. broadcast rights, with fights to air on FS1, FS2 and Fox Deportes. It also covers live streaming, highlights and mobile rights via FoxSports.com, FoxSportsGo and other Fox Sports digital platforms. Ten of the cards will take place in the U.S., with 10 in Mexico and four at int'l venues TBD (Fox Sports).

Jerry Seinfeld will be featured on SportsNet N.Y.'s Mets coverage for tonight's game against the Giants at Citi Field. Seinfeld will join studio analyst Bob Ojeda and host Chris Carlin on the "Mets First Pitch" pregame show. Seinfeld following the show will join the SNY broadcast booth alongside Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling and Gary Cohen to handle the play-by-play for the game. This is the "second time that Seinfeld has called a Mets game," the first being in June '10 (N.Y. POST, 9/15).

Web video outlet AOL On today launched "Flat Out," a documentary series co-produced by NASCAR productions that follows young driver Dylan Kwasniewski (THE DAILY).

Paciolan today announced that it has renewed its partnership with Cal (Paciolan).

Combat has agreed to become the exclusive provider of bats for the Washington State Univ. baseball program beginning with the '14 season (Combat).

"I haven’t decided my future plans, I always consider all the options" – ESPN Senior VP & Dir of News Vince Doria, through a spokesperson, on a report that he is retiring (THEBIGLEAD.com, 9/17).

"It scares me the direction we're going. I think the transfer rule, the pay the players, it has a lot of good reasoning behind it. I just don't know what the answer is" – Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo, on the possibility of the NCAA allowing additional stipend money for college athletes (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 9/17).

AP's Jenna Fryer: "Trace Adkins and @DanicaPatrick will co-host the American Country Awards Dec. 10. What have you done to her, @StenhouseJr?"

Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham: "Trying to figure out where Mariano will put the painting of #RedSox fans trying to mock him in 2005. Figure either the shed or a yard sale."

USA Today's Nate Ryan: "Fox Sports One will expand 'Race Hub' from 30 minutes to 1 hour (original length while on Speed) starting Monday, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m. #nascar"

N.Y. Times' Christopher Clarey: "Looks like Rafael #Nadal and South America is becoming a thing. Brazil Open announces he'll play the 500 event in February #tennis"

If you see a tweet we won’t want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

Golf Channel's Holly Sonders threw out, or rather, chipped out, the first pitch at last night's Rangers-Rays game.

15 – Number of D-I college basketball programs that have unveiled new court designs this summer, after Rhode Island released images of its new floor last week (NBCSPORTS.com, 9/11).