The NFL on Friday afternoon issued a statement on the Deflategate scandal: "Our office has been conducting an investigation as to whether the footballs used ... complied with the specifications that are set forth in the playing rules." The investigation, led jointly by NFL Exec VP & General Counsel Jeff Pash and outside counsel Ted Wells, "began promptly on Sunday night." More from the statement: "Over the past several days, nearly 40 interviews have been conducted, including of Patriots personnel, game officials, and third parties with relevant information and expertise. We have obtained and are continuing to obtain additional information, including video and other electronic information and physical evidence" (NFL). There is no timetable given for the conclusion of the investigation (THE DAILY).

Patriots Owner Robert Kraft subsequently issued his own statement: "On Monday, I received a letter from the league office informing me that they would be conducting an investigation. ... I instructed our staff to be completely cooperative and transparent with the league’s investigators. ... It is an ongoing process that the league and our team are taking very seriously" (Patriots).

The NFLPA has filed a "non-injury expedited grievance against the NFL to challenge the league's new personal conduct policy." The union "maintains that the policy is in violation" of the CBA and seeks a "cease and desist order to enjoin implementation of the policy." The NFLPA alleges that the policy is an "NFL Rule" and "must conform to the terms of the CBA." The league responded in a statement, "We and the public firmly believe that all NFL personnel should be held accountable to a stronger, more effective conduct policy. Clearly, the union does not share that belief" (ESPN.com, 1/23).

The six remaining staff photographers at Sports Illustrated "were all laid off" on Thursday. The move was confirmed by SI Dir of Photography Brad Smith, who said that while the six "are no longer staff photographers, that does not preclude them (from) continuing to shoot for the magazine." He added that SI "isn't planning on changing what they do, just the process." Smith: "Our commitment to photography is as strong as ever" (NPPA.org, 1/23).

The Winter X Games in Aspen had its largest Thursday night crowd ever as 16,300 attended the first day of competition at Buttermilk Mountain. The major draw of the evening was the finals of Men's Snowboard Superpipe featuring all three halfpipe medalists from the Sochi Games – Iouri Podladtchikov, Ayumu Hirano and Taku Hiraoka – as well as superstar Shaun White's first competitive performance since the Olympics.

Hundreds of ESPN employees "have converged on Arizona as the company scrambles to build a massive mobile studio" for its coverage around Super Bowl XLIX. "SportsCenter" for the first time will "broadcast the full show from the Super Bowl site, having aired only shorter segments in previous years." Other programs, such as "First Take," "PTI" and "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," will air live from Scottsdale starting Monday morning. The net has "about 500 of its 7,000 employees in Arizona" for the week (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/23).

Ohio State on Saturday will celebrate its CFP championship at Ohio Stadium with an hour-long event starting at 11:00am ET. The festivities are "free to the public," and "parking is free in all surface lots" and in several garages. In addition to general admission seating in the upper and lower decks, there will be "room for 2,500 fans" on the field, with that access determined via online lottery. Big Ten Network has TV and streaming rights (DISPATCH.com, 1/21).

Ohio State AD Gene Smith said of the celebration overlapping with NHL All-Star weekend: "When you think about our city and all the great things that have happened here over the years, this is probably one of those exemplar moments. ... All the media attention for both of those events for our city, it's going to be unreal" (AP, 1/22).

This weekend's IMSA Tudor United SportsCar Series Rolex 24 at Daytona "has become an all-star event" to begin the racing season and kick off Speedweeks. The field includes 14 of the 33 drivers who started in the '14 Indianapolis 500. While "most of the guest drivers this weekend are hired outside guns, a few will simply move across to a different department of the company they already work for." Ryan Hunter-Reay: "The 24 kind of kicks off the year and has become part of my calendar" (ESPN.com, 1/22). Rolex recently signed a multiyear extension with Daytona Int'l Speedway (THE DAILY).

Hotel & Lodging Association of Volusia County CEO Bob Davis said of the event, "It brings a lot of tourists to town. ... What I'm hearing and seeing is that this year is going to be much better than last year" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 1/19).

H.J. Heinz Co. has opted not to advertise during NBC’s Super Bowl XLIX broadcast despite “success with last year’s Super Bowl commercial” (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/23).

San Diego-based golf simulator firm Full Swing Golf formally announced that it has signed Jordan Spieth as an endorser (Full Swing Golf). The company earlier this week also signed Tiger Woods.

Ducere Pharma announced that former MLBer Pete Rose will endorse its topical muscle, joint and arthritis pain reliever Myoflex (Ducere).

“I really don’t want a Kia. Although if it happened, I’m not going to be upset about it. Mom will have a nice ride” – Senators F Bobby Ryan, on not wanting to be the final selection in tonight’s NHL All-Star Draft, despite the last pick being awarded a new car (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 1/23).

“NASCAR drivers should drive NASCAR. Sports car drivers should drive sports cars”– Race team owner Wayne Taylor, on drivers from other series competing in races like the Rolex 24. Taylor made an exception for Jeff Gordon, who joined his team for the '07 race (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 1/23).

Guessing #inflategate leads to the highest rated @AZSuperBowl of all time. (By the way, feel free to dump me your unwanted SB tix...)

— Peter Stringer (@peterstringer) January 23, 2015

Allegheny Co. Sheriff says no evidence that Steelers director of security (and deputy sheriff) Jack Kearney behaved inappropriately

— Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) January 23, 2015

At least 165 media will be at MSG Sunday to watch the player the #Knicks hope they get. Not nearly as many will cover the Knicks on Friday

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) January 23, 2015

Coach Adrian Heath, "I know how Tom Brady feels now." In response to the media turnout. 😅 pic.twitter.com/MkvZnJKtG2

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) January 23, 2015

We're extremely proud to introduce the new Steve Harris P-Bass http://t.co/FNWx01Ttfw @IronMaiden @whufc_official pic.twitter.com/El7ZSgkawV

— Fender® UK & ROI (@FenderGBI) January 23, 2015

Friday

The Red Sox will host “Baseball Winter Weekend” at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. The event will include a Town Hall Meeting with Owner John Henry, Chair Tom Werner, President & CEO Larry Lucchino, Exec VP & GM Ben Cherington and manager John Farrell.

A Snoop Dogg show will kick off a slate of three concerts over the weekend at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo. Shows from Chromeo and Skrillex (Saturday) and Wiz Khalifa (Sunday) will follow.

Saturday

WFAN host Mike Francesa plans to attend FrancesaCon Two at Irving Plaza in N.Y. The inaugural event was “a lark last year, just a way to honor” Francesa with “an afternoon at a bar on the day before the Super Bowl” (NEWSDAY, 1/22).

The MLB Rangers will host Fan Fest at Globe Life Park, which will feature an autograph session from 9:00am-4:00pm CT that includes more than 30 current and former players.

Comerica Park will play host to TigerFest 2015, which will be live streamed on Tigers.com.

Univ. of Missouri AD Mike Alden will be part of the induction class into the Missouri Sports HOF in Springfield, Mo.

Former NFLer Tim Brown will hold a signing of his new book, “The Making Of A Man” at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C.

In this video from the Australian Open's YouTube channel, tennis players talk about the atmosphere at the tournament's night matches.

$190 – Average ticket price on the secondary market for Knicks tickets to date this season, according to data from ticketing app Gametime. The average for the '13-14 season was $388 (THE DAILY).