Baseball’s labor talks will extend into November, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said today, pushing closer to the Dec. 1 expiration of the current five-year CBA with the MLBPA. Manfred earlier this year had expressed a goal of striking a new deal by the end of the World Series. But he confirmed that talks will extend beyond the end of the season. “We’re all still working really hard at it, and I remain optimistic we can reach a new agreement with the players,” Manfred said. Asked more specifically about the timetable, Manfred said, “It’s a very safe assumption we’ll be at it into November.” MLB completed the last labor deal in '11 with about three weeks to spare before expiration of the prior agreement.

Among the unresolved issues is MLB’s continued push to create an international draft, which has already generated planned no-shows for a showcase event in the Dominican Republic later this week by some Latin American trainers who develop young players in the region.

Meanwhile, Manfred appeared today along with Indians Chair & CEO Paul Dolan and several current and former Indians players at a Play Ball event at a Boys And Girls Club of Cleveland, continuing the league’s program to promote youth participation in baseball. A similar event is slated for Saturday in Chicago during weekend World Series games at Wrigley Field.

Turner Sports and Google tonight will work together during NBA Opening Night coverage to create in-the-moment digital ads. Video captured before, during and after games will be immediately turned into real-time ads promoting TNT’s NBA coverage. The spots will run on the NBA on TNT YouTube channel and other Turner Sports social platforms. The effort will utilize experimental programmatic video capture technology, dubbed “Project Instant,” from Google’s DoubleClick Bid Manager ad platform.

Cleveland tonight hosts the Knicks-Cavaliers NBA season opener and Cubs-Indians World Series Game 1. In a sports TV first, blimps will be in the air from two different brands providing aerial shots to two different nets. Beginning at around 6:00pm ET, Goodyear’s “Wingfoot Two” – christened last week by Savannah James (wife of LeBron) – will be providing live shots to TNT. Sharing the airspace will be DirecTV’s “Lefty” blimp, which will be covering World Series Game 1 for Fox.

For Goodyear, in exchange for the beauty shots, the brand will receive blimp “pops,” a once-per-hour on-screen graphic paired with an audio mention acknowledging the eye in the sky. TNT usually uses 3-4 aerial shots per hour. Meanwhile, the DirecTV blimp has a 2,100-square-foot full-color LED screen on its side, which will allow Fox to share replay footage, offer live interaction with fans and provide partners an additional medium to advertise. Fox will use an estimated 15 shots from Lefty (David Broughton, Research Director).

USA TODAY notes a "scintillating 90 minutes" tonight in Cleveland will include the Cavaliers celebrating their title and the start of the World Series before a "standing-room-only crowd" at Progressive Field (USA TODAY, 10/25). CLEVELAND.com goes with the header, "Cleveland Sports Fans On Tuesday Will Get To Enjoy A Problem We Never Thought We'd Have" (CLEVELAND.com, 10/24). The S.F. CHRONICLE goes with, "World Series Opens In Our New Sports Capital ... Cleveland" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/25).

In the latest SBD/SBJ podcast, Exec Editor Abe Madkour and Staff Writer Eric Fisher reflect on the start of the series and the relevant business issues in play.

The Giants this afternoon "cut ties" with embattled K Josh Brown about an hour after he "apologized to the team in a statement." Brown "landed on the commissioner’s exempt list Friday in the wake of the league re-opening its investigation" into his domestic violence arrests. Brown's release "ends a months-long saga that has damaged the Giants' reputation as one of the model franchises in sports." Giants President & CEO John Mara has "come under considerable scrutiny for re-signing a player whom he knew had been arrested for domestic violence" (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 10/25).  

ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted, "Giants' career over and real chance he never again kicks in NFL." The MMQB's Andrew Brandt: "Ravens, Giants applied zero discipline, offered support. Then new 'evidence,' heat comes, player becomes radioactive, cut. So 2014." Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer: "Josh Brown deserved being booted from the Giants a lot earlier than this. It's the old read and reactionary approach again." CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora: "No matter what further discipline he receives don't see anyone signing him." N.Y. Daily News' Bernie Augustine: "Sneaky Giants made players face media, answer questions about Brown then cut him after players were sent home for the bye."

FS Southeast and the Grizzlies today announced a new long-term TV rights agreement that goes into effect with the '17-18 NBA season. FS Southeast will produce all locally available regular season games not exclusively selected by a national network. Additionally, the net will televise three preseason games annually and all non-exclusive first round playoff games. During the current NBA season, 77 regular season Grizzlies games will be televised on FS Southeast (FS Southeast).

Hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen and his investment team today "offered to forgo public financing to build a new sports arena" in Seattle. This marks a "stunning and swift turn in the nearly five-year debate" over building a new NBA/NHL arena. The offer, outlined in a letter to city officials, says the group is willing to build the venue at "no cost to the City" or King County. The original proposal had called for the city and county to back about $200M in construction bonds (KING5.com, 10/25). The project "had been in limbo since May" (SEATTLETIMES.com, 10/25).

Six additional sports have "signed deals with the Olympic Channel to have some of their events shown on the new digital outlet." The channel said that agreements were "reached with the international federations for cycling, skating and luge, as well as three new sports" for the '20 Tokyo Games -- baseball-softball, karate and sport climbing. The six sports "join the 27 which signed agreements with the channel earlier this year" (AP, 10/25).

Highlights from the Nov. 9-10 event at the Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan will include a panel titled, "The Digitally Connected Venues of Tomorrow (and Today)." Execs from Rams, E15, New Era, Dimensional Innovations and Momentum Worldwide will discuss how the fan-first experience is driving new design decisions, and what that means for sports marketers. To register for the Symposium, visit www.SportsMarketingSymposium.com.

The Red Sox today announced the promotion of VP/Int'l Scouting Eddie Romero to Senior VP & Assistant GM, a role in which he will "report directly" to President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski. The team "will not fill" its GM vacancy "at this time" (MASSLIVE.com, 10/25).

Legend Solar has reached a three-year deal to serve as the presenting sponsor of the Trail Blazers' annual Energy Green Game. This season's edition will take place April 8 against the Jazz (Legend Solar).

A man who fell 60 feet from a stair railing at Sports Authority Field at Mile High last night "has died" (DENVERPOST.com, 10/25).

The Audience network’s YouTube channel today released the first trailer for “The Religion of Sports,” a new documentary series whose executive producers include Patriots QB Tom Brady and Pro Football HOFer Michael Strahan. The series premieres Nov. 15 with the "first of six one-hour episodes" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 10/25).

"Because that’s what I was thinking about. Hey, where do you go if you’re nursing during the game? I mean come on, is this a mall or is this Yankee Stadium" – WFAN-AM's Mike Francesa, on renovations to the ballpark that will include a kids play area and a private area for mothers to nurse (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 10/25).

"I want to be clear, the growth remains intact, it just costs more short-term investment dollars to achieve. We are in this for the long haul and the opportunity that we see is to be the best in the world" – Under Armour Founder, Chair & CEO Kevin Plank, in response to sluggish revenue in Q3 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/25).

I was so impressed man RT @mikefreemanNFL: The difference in Adam Silver talking social justice issues vs. Roger Goodell is striking.

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) October 25, 2016

I asked Dexter Fowler what he'd be doing today if he had gone to Harvard instead of signing w/Colorado. "Probably be the Cubs GM," he said.

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) October 25, 2016

Lou Gehrig was 5 years old last time #Cubs won #WorldSeries.

— Neil Best (@sportswatch) October 25, 2016

Holly Rowe looks awesome on ESPN. Love the new look! Great to see her back grinding at work.

— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) October 25, 2016

Thank you to @JeremyDarlow for talking #Brandswinchampionships @adidasfootball @adidasUS and telling a story with @NU_SPORTMGT @NiagaraCHTM pic.twitter.com/VJXxALXOJy

— Patrick Tutka Ph.D (@pmtutkaPhD) October 25, 2016

Following an open practice, Univ. of Michigan basketball coach John Beilein and the players will be available for photo opportunities as part of a "Squad Selfie" promotion at Crisler Center. 

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski shuttles commuters around Boston and confesses to having a "man crush" on Tom Brady in the latest edition of Undercover Lyft.

Hockey HOFer Wayne Gretzky will appear on TBS' "Conan" at 11:00pm ET.

145% – Percent by which hamachi kama was ordered more in Chicago on days when the Cubs won home games this season, compared to home losses, according to data from Grubhub. This makes hamachi kama the top "good luck food" for the Cubs this season. The Indians' luckiest food was the shrimp tempura roll, which was ordered 124% more in Cleveland on winning game days (THE DAILY).