EA Sports tonight will upload the first-round selections from the NFL Draft into the Madden Ultimate Team mode of its "Madden NFL 25" video game within minutes of their real-life selection. EA Sports previously has incorporated new NFL Draft picks into the prior year's version of "Madden" through the Ultimate Team mode, which combines basic gameplay with virtual card collecting, but never before in a near-realtime setting such as this.

EA GM of American Football Games Cam Weber said, "This is another step as we've evolved 'Madden' and our other games from much less of a locked, packaged-good product into more of an annual service that's supported all year." Ratings in the game for the newly drafted players have been created based on their college careers and performance earlier this year at the NFL Combine, and may be further tweaked tonight based on specific team assignments. EA’s Ultimate Team services generated more than $380M revenue in the company's FY '14, according to an earnings release earlier this week, with Madden Ultimate Team revenue in particular increasing 90% from the prior year.

Wilson Sporting Goods today announced that it has signed NFL Draft prospect DE Jadeveon Clowney to an endorsement deal. Clowney will promote the company's new line of GST football gloves and protective gear, as well as other products such as footballs and mouth guards. He will be featured on marketing materials including digital, in-store and product packaging. Wilson in conjunction with tonight's NFL Draft is launching a microsite, WilsonMoreWork.com, through which they will give away a pair of gloves autographed by Clowney (Wilson).

This comes on the heels of Clowney signing an endorsement deal with Puma.

Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, whose company owns the Braves, today said the team's local TV deals will generate about $500M in additional revenue "over the life of the contracts" after they were reworked last year. Maffei, speaking on a quarterly conference call with investors, said, "We were able to renegotiate positively a bunch of those (TV) rights. ... That adds a lot of value." Maffei said that the deals originally ran through '27, "but he didn't say how long the reworked deals run." Maffei also "applauded Braves management for its operation of the team and its work on the planned new stadium" (AJC.com, 5/8).

The NFLPA is "launching a campaign aimed at defeating" the Saints' bid to change Louisiana law "pertaining to workers' compensation claims by players." NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith said legislation backed by Saints Owner Tom Benson that passed the state House yesterday "specifically targets professional athletes." The law "aims to calculate workers' compensation benefits for pro athletes based only on recent earnings," while the league's CBA has a "formula that also includes future earnings" (AP, 5/8).

Fox Sports today announced plans for "Back Of The Shop," a new FS1 show that features sports and entertainment personalities in conversation at Jordan Sport Barbershop in the Bronx. The weekly half-hour series from Fox Sport Originals and Relativity Media will debut Saturday, May 24, before moving to a regular time slot Tuesdays at 8:30pm ET. Athletes appearing in the show will include Red Sox DH David Ortiz, Mariners 2B Robinson Cano, Yankees LF Alfonso Soriano, Knicks F Amar'e Stoudemire and Cowboys WR Dez Bryant (Fox Sports).

Baylor President Ken Starr during a U.S. House committee hearing today voiced his objections to the NLRB ruling that Northwestern's scholarship football players are employees who can unionize. As the decision "applies to private schools, Starr feels that it could create a discrepancy between schools with the ability to unionize and public schools." He added that "since athletes have to meet certain academic progress in order to play a sport, athletes may be able to bargain over academic standards" (DALLASNEWS.com, 5/8).

USA Today's Steve Berkowitz tweeted, "Baylor Pres. Starr tells House Comm re athlete unions: Expect religiously affiliated schools to challenge NLRB authority to regulate them" (TWITTER.com, 5/8).

The Steelers today announced that they will produce a web series titled, "Countdown: Behind The Scenes Story Of The 2014 Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Draft." The series will be carried exclusively on the team's official website, starting Wednesday (Steelers).

The Yankees today announced that they will retire the No. 6 in honor of former manager and current MLB Exec VP/Baseball Operations Joe Torre. The number will be retired during an Aug. 23 ceremony in Monument Park (AP, 5/8). Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Braves Historical Association today inducted Torre into the Braves Honor Roll (Brewers).

A worker at the World Cup stadium in Cuiaba died today in an electrical accident, "temporarily interrupting construction at one of the most-delayed venues" being built for the soccer tournament. The man is "the eighth worker to die in accidents" while building FIFA World Cup venues in Brazil (AP, 5/8).

TicketCity today announced a partnership with USA Today Sports Media Group, integrating the ticket marketplace's offerings across USATSMG's digital and mobile properties (TicketCity).

Paciolan today announced that Providence College has renewed its deal with the company and will continue to use its online ticketing system and marketing services and will implement its Access scanning technology (Paciolan).

CSNBayArea.com delivered its highest traffic month to date in April with 4.3 million unique visitors (TWITTER.com, 5/8).

"No I don't. ... I don't think the NFL really is as concerned as they show. The NFL is more of a bottom line league" – Seahawks CB Richard Sherman, on whether he thought the NFL would ban a team owner for life for making remarks similar to those of Donald Sterling (TIME.com, 5/8).

"I wasn't very good. If you can't play yourself, your acting career is pretty limited" – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, on his appearance in the movie "Draft Day" ("Live! With Kelly and Michael," 5/8).

"There have been so many mock drafts even this year I think (Federal Reserve Chair) Janet Yellen had a mock draft" – Academy Securities President Phil McConkey, who played six seasons in the NFL, on the build-up and hype leading up to the NFL Draft ("Fast Money Halftime Report," CNBC, 5/8).

"We have a duty of care to English football and not just football played in England" – Football Association Chair Greg Dyke, on proposing a limit on the number non-European players in the country’s top soccer leagues as it tries to develop young athletes and improve the national team (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 5/8).

Awful Announcing's official account: "Great tidbit from @dpshow. Khalil Mack wore #46 at Buffalo because that was his rating in the EA Sports video game."

Newsday's Anthony Rieber: "Mets act as if they have a salary cap. Maybe they should transfer to one of the leagues that has one. Then there'd be an excuse for inaction."

You Can Play Project co-Founder Patrick Burke: "Georgetown has been on board. Now Notre Dame That's the nations two biggest Catholic schools working with @YouCanPlayTeam for LGBT inclusion."

NFL.com's Gil Brandt: "I have been associated w draft for 55 years and w/out question this has most suspense by wide margin. I expect lots of surprises tonight."

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

CBS' Verne Lundquist will receive the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting from Fordham Univ.'s WFUV-FM at Gotham Hall.

Pro Football HOFer and NFL Network personality Marshall Faulk talks about using league partner SAP's analytics tools to prepare for his role in covering tonight's NFL Draft.

U.S. beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings will appear on Fox' "Hell's Kitchen" at 8:00pm ET.

FS1's Andy Roddick will appear on NBC's "Hollywood Game Night" at 8:00pm ET.

Contestants in CBS' "The Amazing Race" will take part in a challenge at EPL club Liverpool's Anfield stadium at 8:00pm ET.

$3.6B – Sales of winter sports equipment, apparel and accessories for the '13-14 ski season, marking an "all-time high" for the snowsports retail industry. The totals are up 4% in units sold and 7% in dollar amount "over the previous ski season" (DENVERPOST.com, 5/7).