Attorney Max Blecher on Friday responded to a TMZ report that stated his client, suspended Clippers Owner Donald Sterling, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The response from Blecher comes after sources on Thursday said that Rochelle Sterling became the team's sole trustee of the Clippers trust after Donald was "found by experts to be mentally incapacitated." Blecher in an e-mail wrote, "Mr. Sterling is far from mentally incompetent." Blecher also wrote he was "aware of the evaluations" of Donald Sterling this month, but called the results "grossly exaggerated" (TWITTER.com, 5/30). Sources said that Donald Sterling was diagnosed with Alzheimer's after undergoing "extensive tests, including a CT and PET scan," with two "prominent neurologists" (TMZ.com, 5/30).

Meanwhile, the NBA on Friday released a statement saying that despite Rochelle Sterling reaching an agreement to sell the Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the league's special BOG meeting planned for June 3 will go on as scheduled (NBA).

Nationwide Insurance on Friday announced a new, multiyear deal with Broncos QB Peyton Manning, as well as a multiyear extension with the Broncos. Manning will work with the Nationwide family of companies to support consumer and business offerings in the auto, home, life and retirement categories. Additionally, Manning will be featured in national advertising starting this fall. The extension with the Broncos includes media, on-site activation, in-stadium branding and hospitality (Nationwide).

The NFL traditionally identifies Super Bowls using Roman numerals, but that will change in '16 if the S.F. Bay Area Super Bowl Host Committee has its way. The title game at Levi's Stadium will be the league's fiftieth, and the Host Committee would like to see it known as “Super Bowl 50,” as opposed to “Super Bowl L.” During a panel Friday at the '14 Intersport Activation Summit, committee CEO & President Keith Bruce said, “I think we’re at a point now with Super Bowl 50, it being recognized as 50, the NFL doing what it's doing around the celebration of 50, that it’s probably time to introduce the Arabic '50' as opposed to ‘L.’”

Bruce acknowledged that the final say on the numeric moniker lies with the league, but said that the committee has “already given them our opinion.” The NFL had nothing to say about Bruce’s statement, but its response stuck to the Roman numeral tradition: “No, we do not have a comment on our official plans for Super Bowl L.”

For more coverage from S.F., see our On The Ground blog.

Unilever brand Degree Men on Friday unveiled a massive banner in N.Y.'s Central Park as part of its activation leading up to the FIFA World Cup. The banner measures 30 by 50 feet and portrays the faces of thousands of U.S. Soccer fans showing their support for the men's national team. It will follow the team to Brazil to be displayed at the U.S. Soccer training facility in Sao Paulo and fan rallies throughout the country. The banner ties in with the deodorant brand's "Do: More" tagline (Degree).

Meanwhile, Marriott Int'l has tapped U.S. D Omar Gonzalez and ESPN soccer analyst Alexi Lalas to appear in a series of candid videos dubbed "Gonzalez and Lalas: Defenders of Travel." Marriott is the official hotel partner of U.S. Soccer (Marriott).

The American Athletic Conference on Friday unveiled its divisional alignment for the '15 football season, and plans for the conference's first football championship game to be played at the home site of the highest ranked divisional champion. The AAC's new East-West format was unanimously approved at the league's annual meetings. With Navy joining the conference in '15, the AAC will be made up of two six-team divisions. The East will include UCF, Cincinnati, ECU, USF, UConn and Temple. The West will be comprised of Navy, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Tulane and Tulsa (AAC).

The NCAA in its "latest attempt to delay the Ed O'Bannon trial" has filed an emergency petition with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Lawyers for the NCAA asked the court to vacate U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken's order for the trial to begin June 9. The organization also wants the court to rule that the trial "should not be held before the Sam Keller right of publicity trial" involving video games. The filing Thursday night marks the "fifth attempt by the NCAA in recent weeks to delay and/or redefine the case." It is seeking a decision by 8:30am ET on June 9 (CBSSPORTS.com, 5/30).

Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 11 Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin will sport a "special Autism Speaks puzzle piece paint scheme" for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 at Dover Int'l Speedway. The design "allowed fans to make donations to Autism Speaks and in return, have their first name and last initial displayed" on the car. An exact replica of the car "will be on display Sunday morning prior to the race." FedEx is the No. 11 car's primary sponsor (DOVER POST, 5/30).

Discovery Communications on Friday completed its takeover of Eurosport Int'l, "boosting its stake in the European sports network" to 51%. Discovery acquired the shares from France-based network TF1, which "will have a put option to sell" its remaining 49% stake to Discovery. However, the French group is expected to retain its 80% stake in Eurosport France until at least Jan. 1, 2015. The deal, which values Eurosport Group at $1.2B, "will further strengthen Discovery's position in Europe" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 5/30).

The SEC "distributed a record total" of $306.9M to its 14 member schools for the '13-14 academic year (AL.com, 5/30).

The Browns have "a game plan to manage 'Manzielmania' this summer" and will have fans "register online to attend their training camp.” The team, which will not charge an admission fee, is “still working out final details.” The Browns can only accommodate about 5,000 fans at their facility (AP, 5/30).

The Texas Supreme Court denied a request by lawyers for Lance Armstrong on Friday to block SCA Promotions from "re-opening an arbitration agreement in which the firm paid $12 million in bonuses to the disgraced cyclist" (REUTERS, 5/30).

“It’s a rational deal for a guy who is worth 20 billion dollars and really wants to become an NBA owner” – ESPN’s Darren Rovell, on Steve Ballmer’s bid to buy the Clippers for $2B (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 5/30).

“I don’t think the LPGA could have scripted a better start to the 2014 season. Everybody had been waiting for the young American players. I think this is the best position the tour has ever been in” – ShopRite LPGA Classic Exec Dir Tim Erensen, on U.S. players winning five of the last six tournaments (PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY, 5/30).

"Georgia State must have great facilities" – Mississippi State AD Scott Stricklin, on Penn State and Notre Dame coaches working Georgia State's summer football camps. Several SEC coaches and ADs feel coaches working at "satellite camps" runs afoul of NCAA recruiting rules (TWITTER.com, 5/30).

"Most of them have got to catch me first and they're usually not sober enough or in shape enough to do that" – NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, on whether fans stop him for autographs during his customary runs on the track grounds during race weekends (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 5/30).

USA Today’s Jeff Gluck: “Major audio problems in the Dover media center. One of those moments you might see in a blooper reel during Vegas banquet.”

Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons: “The CFL labour dispute is not the usual rich guy vs richer guy fight. It's about real people, modestly paid, with bills to pay and families.”

Washington Post’s Mike Wise: “I'm starting to think Dan Snyder really thinks a 10-year-old flawed poll represents this country's feeling about his team. No, really, I do.”

Newsday’s Neil Best: “Mike Francesa: 'For some reason defying all logic we are not on Fox at all today.' This marriage does not seem to be going well.”

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

FRIDAY
Nelligan Sports Marketing Founder and '14 Special Olympics USA Games Chair & CEO T.J. Nelligan will join Special Olympics athletes in ringing the NASDAQ Closing Bell in N.Y.

SATURDAY
Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam III and Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross will headline the “Expectations of Ownership” panel discussion at the NFL Career Development Symposium at the Univ. of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

The Indians will have Greater Cleveland Food Bank volunteers taking donations at the Progressive Field gates for the team’s 3:05pm ET game against the Rockies. The effort is part of the Indians’ partnership with Harvest for Hunger.

In this spot from MLBAM, Rangers SS Elvis Andrus does his best Elvis Presley impersonation.

FRIDAY
Gold Medal-winning U.S. snowboarder Sage Kotsenburg will appear on CNBC’s “Mad Money With Jim Cramer” at 6:00pmET to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

13,464 – Number of registrants for a free online Sabermetrics 101 course put together by Boston-based professor Andy Andres. The course launched Thursday morning (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/29).