The U.S. men's national team plays its first match of the '14 FIFA World Cup tonight against Ghana, and the Stars & Stripes could have "upwards of 22,000 fans packed into the Arena das Dunas" in Natal. That "incredible support" would "ensure half of the stadium would be a sea of red, white and blue" (NBCSPORTS.com, 6/16). Vice President Joe Biden is "expected to arrive" today for the match (USATODAY.com, 6/14).

A large audience is expected for tonight's match on ESPN at 6:00pm ET. The cable net’s top audience for a men’s soccer game remains the '10 U.S.-Algeria match from group play with a 4.0 rating and 6.16 million viewers. The net’s top soccer match all-time is the '11 Women’s World Cup Final, which drew a 7.4 rating and 13.46 million viewers for Japan-U.S. Listed below are the top men's soccer audiences all-time in the U.S. (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).

ABC finished with a 9.3 average rating and 15.52 million viewers for the Spurs' win over the Heat in the NBA Finals, marking the lowest audience for the Finals since Lakers-Magic in '09 (both series went five games). The seven-game Heat-Spurs series last year drew a 10.5 rating and 17.67 million viewers, while the five-game Heat-Thunder series in '12 drew a 10.1 rating and 16.86 million viewers. Despite lopsided scores in Games 3-5, this year's Spurs-Heat series was trending ahead of the first five games from the same matchup last year (9.3 rating vs. 9.1 rating).

There did not seem to be any rush around NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan this morning, but it was already selling Spurs championship hot-market merchandise just hours after the team won the NBA title and there were buyers at the cash register. As expected, “if-win” orders for a potential third consecutive Heat championship far exceeded those for commemorating the Spurs' fifth NBA title in the last 15 years.

“Clearly, San Antonio will be more local than Miami would have been, especially with their (potential) ‘threepeat,’" said NBA President of Global Operations & Merchandising Sal LaRocca. He added that Academy Sports, the largest sporting-goods specialty retailer in the San Antonio market with eight stores, was planning for the biggest hot-market sales ever (Terry Lefton, Editor-At-Large).

Meanwhile, the Spurs announced plans for a championship parade beginning at 6:00pm CT Wednesday on San Antonio's River Walk. After the parade, the celebration will move to the Alamodome for a special ceremony beginning at 9:00pm (Spurs).

AEG Merchandising grossed $1.6M in merchandise sales for the three Stanley Cup Final games at Staples Center, and retail per caps surpassed the numbers posted during the Kings' NHL title run in '12, said Staples Center Senior VP & GM Lee Zeidman. Fans spent an average $27.63 on merchandise over the three games in L.A., including Friday's double-OT clincher over the Rangers. The figures cover points of sale inside Staples Center and at L.A. Live across the street from the facility. The three OT games at Staples Center helped drive sales because people were in the building for a longer period of time, Zeidman said.

The afterglow of winning the Cup pushed the numbers higher on Friday as well. AEG Merchandising sold $275,000 in retail items immediately after the Kings won Friday’s contest, Zeidman said.

The Blues today hired Chris Zimmerman as President & CEO of Business Operations. Zimmerman, who previously was President of Nike/Bauer Hockey, the Canucks and Easton Sports, will report to Blues Owner Tom Stillman, who took over the team in '12. "The team has made a lot of progress since the change in ownership," said Zimmerman. "My job is to bring new thinking to the business side and keep the club moving forward." Blues President of Hockey Operations & GM Doug Armstrong will continue to report directly to Stillman.

Learfield Sports today announced that it has agreed to acquire Licensing Resource Group, thereby adding licensing merchandising and brand marketing services to its portfolio of college businesses. LRG primarily provides licensing services, including trademark and brand management. LRG President & CEO Lewis Hardy will continue to manage the company day-to-day, reporting to Learfield COO Marc Jenkins (Learfield Sports). LRG represents "more than 200 colleges" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/16 issue).

Mandalay Baseball Properties today announced a long-rumored deal to sell the Double-A Texas League Frisco RoughRiders to former MLB Rangers CEO & co-Owner Chuck Greenberg. The RoughRiders will join a Greenberg minor-league portfolio that also includes the Single-A Carolina League Myrtle Beach Pelicans and New York-Penn League State College Spikes. Also part of the Greenberg group is Scott Sonju, current RoughRiders President and now co-Managing Partner of the newly formed Frisco RoughRiders LP investor group.

Financial terms for the sale were not disclosed, but the deal closing conditioned on various approvals from the Texas League, MiLB and MLB. Industry rumors earlier this spring suggested the deal would be worth more than $30M, a record sum for a minor league baseball team. The RoughRiders have been a Rangers affiliate since '02. The deal is part of an ongoing effort by Mandalay Baseball Properties' majority owner, Seaport Capital, to divest its baseball holdings. Initial efforts were focused on selling all five MiLB teams it owns in one block, but after a lack of success there, the strategy was pivoted late last year to individual deals.

PBS tonight at 10:00pm ET will debut "American Pharaoh," a documentary about Bob Bradley's time as coach of Egypt's men's national soccer team. Filmmaker Hossam Aboul-Magd said, "We went in and started filming for 10 months before we approached PBS. We were the ones who approached PBS. We tried shopping it around. ESPN, NBC Sports, al-Jazeera, many others. No one showed much interest. But deep inside we believed that this was a great story, and we were determined to go ahead with the story whether we had the funding or not. So basically, we funded it" (PHILLY.com, 6/15).

The WAC BOD approved a two-year contract extension for Commissioner Jeff Hurd that runs through June '16. Hurd just completed his first full year in that role (WAC).

MountainStar Sports Group, which owns the Triple-A PCL El Paso Chihuahuas, today said it has had "preliminary and positive discussions" with MLS on the possibility of adding El Paso as an expansion market (ELPASOTIMES.com, 6/16).

Monumental Sports & Entertainment today announced the launch of Mystics Live, an app developed by Kiswe Mobile that allows users to create a customized, interactive viewing experience during the WNBA team's home games at Verizon Center (MSE).

Visit Orlando today formally announced its partnership with the USTA that makes it the exclusive global tourism partner of the U.S. Open. The deal is tied to, but officially separate from, the USTA's upcoming training center at Lake Nona, Fla. (Visit Orlando).

"I suppose this is just about the world's worst kept secret" – R&A CEO Peter Dawson, announcing that the British Open will be held at Northern Ireland's Royal Portrush as early as '19. It would mark only the second time that the British Open has not been held in England or Scotland. The '51 Open was played at Portrush (MIRROR.co.uk, 6/16).

“I don’t think people mind paying for sports. As long as you’re getting the right value proposition” – Turner Sports Ad Sales Senior VP/Sponsorship Integration & Business Development Will Funk, on networks passing along the costs of rising sports rights fees to consumers (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 6/16 issue).

"I would say I was an athlete first, a student second" – Former Vanderbilt football player Chase Garnham, during testimony today in the Ed O'Bannon v NCAA trial (USATODAY.com, 6/16).

BBC News' Wyre Davies: "30 degrees in #Rio but #FIFA's water police strike again. No non Coca Cola branded water allowed in the #Maracana"

USA Today's Steve Berkowitz: "NCAA study: 16 percent of FB players and 15 percent of MBB players said they'd probably or definitely choose current major if not an athlete."

FIFA President Sepp Blatter: "Fantastic to meet @kobebryant at Arena Fonte Nova for #GER #POR."

Phillies CF Tony Gwynn Jr.: "3Today I lost my Dad, my best friend and my mentor. I'm gonna miss u so much pops. I'm gonna do everything in my power to continue to...make you proud! … Love u pops!"

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

Plenty of athletes and celebrities are tweeting their support for the U.S. soccer team today in advance of their World Cup opener against Ghana, including NASCAR driver Danica Patrick showing herself sporting the U.S. kit.

Pete Rose will be the manager/third-base coach for the independent Atlantic League Bridgeport Bluefish for tonight's home game against the Lancaster Barnstormers. The Atlantic League is not under the auspices of MLB, from which Rose is banned.

As the baseball world mourns the loss of Baseball HOFer Tony Gwynn, we offer a look back at this classic early '90s MLB promo spot starring Gwynn and then-Padres teammate Bip Roberts.

Former MLBer Rich Thompson, U.S. canoeist Fabien Lefevre and U.S. luger Preston Griffall will appear on NBC's "American Ninja Warrior" at 9:00pm ET.

CBS will air "48 Hours: Oscar Pistorius: Shots in the Dark," an hour-long special on the Oscar Pistorius trial in South Africa, at 10:00pm ET.

Kings RW Justin Williams and D Alec Martinez are expected to bring the Stanley Cup trophy with them to their appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at 11:35pm ET.

$1.1B – Total insurable value of Germany's national soccer team, according to calculations by Lloyd's of London, which has picked the German side to win the World Cup (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/16).