Penguins GM Jim Rutherford "unexpectedly resigned for personal reasons." Assistant GM Patrik Allvin has been promoted to interim GM as the team "begins its search immediately for someone to fill Rutherford’s role." Rutherford in a statement said, "I know it’s a little unusual to have this happen during a season, but just felt this was the right time to step away.” Rutherford has been the Penguins’ GM since the '14-15 season and led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in '16 and '17. Rutherford also spent 20 years as GM for the Whalers/Hurricanes. He was named to the Hockey HOF in '19 (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 1/27).

The Mets named Zack Scott acting GM a week after former GM Jared Porter was fired for harassing a female journalist with lewd text messages in '16 while he was employed by the Cubs. Scott joined the Mets in December as Assistant GM to "oversee the analytics and systems departments" after 17 years with the Red Sox. The acting GM title "suggests the Mets will re-evaluate their front office structure including Scott after he holds the job for a period of time" (N.Y. POST, 1/27).

IOC President Thomas Bach today reaffirmed that Olympic organizers are “fully concentrated on and committed to” holding the Tokyo Games this summer. Bach said that the governments of Japan and Tokyo have confirmed their support, as have other Olympic stakeholders: “All of them are fully united and committed. All 206 national Olympic committees, all the international federations and the athletes are standing behind these Olympic Games.”

Bach’s comments follow recent reports expressing skepticism around the Games as scheduled. He acknowledged the difficulties ahead, but dismissed the idea that the Tokyo Games will be further delayed or relocated: “I can understand everybody who has concerns about the Olympic Games, when (they are) living in a lockdown. ... But the responsibility of the government and the IOC is to look beyond this situation. We have many good reasons to say it’s not about the ‘whether’ the games are taking place, it’s about the ‘how.’” Next week, the IOC and Tokyo organizers will begin rolling out a new playbook that will detail logistical frameworks for testing, quarantines, transportation and more.

The Blues will allow 1,400 fans into Enterprise Center starting with the team’s next homestand, which begins Feb. 2 against the Coyotes. During the team’s first four home games of the season, "only 300 spectators were allowed in Enterprise and they were all frontline workers or relatives of players and team employees." Those were free tickets, and that group "will continue to be accommodated." But now, the Blues will sell about 1,100 tickets to season-ticket holders. Tickets for the four games Feb. 2- 7 "will become available" tomorrow (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1/27).

Meanwhile, the Predators last night became the fourth NHL club to welcome fans back in ’20-21, but they did not publicly disclose an attendance number at Bridgestone Arena. A team spokesperson said, “We had a couple hundred fans and a couple hundred staff and families in the building” (Mark J. Burns, THE DAILY).

GALAXY/HERBALIFE NUTRITION

The Galaxy this week launched an augmented reality fan experience with long-standing sponsor and kit partner Herbalife Nutrition, believed to be the first of its kind for an MLS club. The branded content -- dubbed "LA Galaxy Tour" -- can be accessed through fans’ smartphones, providing access to Dignity Health Sports Park, the team’s locker room and players' lounge, among other areas. Galaxy F Ethan Zubak introduces himself to fans before providing a guided tour. An Herbalife dietician offers a tutorial on sports nutrition.

“With a theme of innovation, we were really looking for a way to give people a different experience and a way to experience the inner-workings of our club behind the scenes,” said Galaxy President Chris Klein, who noted the AR is rolling out at a time when fans "aren’t able to experience us live." Beverly Hills-based digital/tech firm Virtual Rights Management powered the experience in collaboration with the Galaxy and Herbalife.

The NWSL unveiled more details of its ninth season, which will begin in local markets on April 9 with the NWSL Challenge Cup. Players will report to camp on Feb. 1. The 24-match regular season will begin on May 15 and finish on Oct. 30 before a league champion is crowned on Nov. 20. The 10-team league will include expansion club Racing Louisville FC as well as a new club in K.C., which relocated from Utah as part of an ownership change. Chris and Angie Long of K.C.-area Palmer Square Capital Investment lead the group along with Brittany Matthews, fiancée of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.

ACC Network’s Mark Packer today expressed concerns about the viability of an undisrupted NCAA men's basketball tournament: “You can give me all these protocols you want, but to think that you’re not going to have some type of disruption would be an incredible achievement for March Madness in Indianapolis with 68 teams.”

Packer noted some coaches already are "hinting about possibly opting out of their respective conference tournaments." Packer: “I know it’s late January, but you do need to have these kind of conversations to prepare for March.” Packer said “when you do not have the tournament,” in terms of financial losses, “it is not pretty.” He noted the NCAA lost $56M "on their books last year," and the men's basketball tourney "basically pays for everything -- everything! -- and then some" (“Packer & Durham,” ACC Network, 1/27).

Athletes Unlimited will livestream eight matches from its upcoming inaugural volleyball season across league channels on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Twitch and Dailymotion. Broadcasts will focus on fan engagement, featuring social posts, live polls and on-court camera angles. Twitch broadcasts will include live viewer chats hosted by Athletes Unlimited Fan Relations Manager Savanna Collins, and the league will also broadcast its weekly draft show on Facebook. Last month, Athletes Unlimited announced 22 of the season’s 30 matches will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and FS2. The debut volleyball season, which will not be open to live attendance, will be played at Fair Park Coliseum in Dallas from Feb. 27-March 29.

A new Verizon 5G Business Report shows that business decision-makers, including in the sports and entertainment industries, largely agree that 5G technology will create new opportunities for their company (80%), their industry (79%), and their specific role (79%). Verizon Business CEO Tami Erwin said the findings "underscore the critical role 5G will play in economic recovery and growth." Verizon conducted its poll of 700 business leaders in conjunction with Morning Consult.

Among sports and entertainment execs, 78% indicated that leveraging 5G to incorporate AR and VR experiences would be valuable, while 52% said that 5G planning and adoption is a top priority for top execs at their organization. The tech could have a significant role to play as sports venues increasingly adopt mobile ticketing and food/beverage ordering. See the full report.

Warriors co-Owner Joe Lacob appeared on NBC Sports' “Dubs Talk” and looked back at almost 10 years of ownership, saying when he first acquired the franchise alongside Peter Guber, he was “surprised how much work” the team required, not only on the basketball side: “We had to turn around a business in the early years.”

The “SportsPro Podcast” welcomed Len Elmore and Athletes First Partner Growth Officer Jene Elzie to address how the Trump presidency changed the relationship between sport and politics. Elmore said Trump has “always been essentially a wannabe with regard to belonging to some of the more valued and more respected circles, and the NFL is one of them.” Elzie said for Trump, “sports was just one of many other areas” where he made “outlandish statements.”

The Irish Times' “Inside Business” featured Olympic Federation of Ireland President & Swim Ireland CEO Sarah Keane, who said “we are still of the view” the Tokyo Games are “definitely more likely than not to go ahead.”

Know of a podcast we should keep tabs on? Send an email to pbounds@sportsbusinessdaily.com. Also, check out SBJ's podcast home.

The ECHL BOG approved an expansion club in Savannah, Ga., to be owned by Andy Kaufmann, the same owner of the league’s Jacksonville Icemen. The team will play at a new 7,300-seat arena managed and operated by Oak View Group. This will bring the league to 29 clubs (Mark J. Burns, THE DAILY).

The Hornets named DraftKings the team's official daily fantasy sports partner in a multiyear agreement. DraftKings gains access to Hornets trademarks/logos, in-arena LED signage and logo displays on top of the backboards at Spectrum Center (Hornets).

The Trail Blazers and adidas announced a multi-year partnership extension that will see them collaborate on activations inside and outside Moda Center. The activations will focus on G Damian Lillard’s creative style and how his connection to the city and region influences his footwear designs (Trail Blazers).

SportsNet LA Dodgers reporter Alanna Rizzo announced she is leaving the net after seven years. She did not disclose her next move (TWITTER.com, 1/27).

The Muscular Dystrophy Association named Colts RB Nyheim Hines its '21 national spokesperson. Hines will help raise awareness for muscular dystrophy, ALS and over 43 neuromuscular diseases (Muscular Dystrophy Association).

Fan Controlled Football has launched a campaign with private investing platform Republic that will allow fans to invest and own a portion of any of the four FCF teams (FCF).

"When I think about late-night, for example, the only thing I concern myself with is the opening monologue. There’s nothing else in the show I don’t believe I can’t do. It’s just the opening monologue that I’ve always professed would be a challenge for me, because I don’t know if I would be funny intentionally" -- ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, on his late-night talk show aspirations (USATODAY.com, 1/27).

“Eighty-five percent of Australians support the government measures. That’s a big number” -- CBS’ Vladimir Duthiers, on support for safety protocols enacted by the Australian government, including quarantining tennis players competing in the Australian Open (“CBS This Morning,” 1/27).

“These two have gone to war. It’s a quiet, unofficial war but it’s a war nonetheless, and this was in Jerry’s face to sign with Budweiser” -- FS1’s Skip Bayless, on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott signing an endorsement deal with A-B InBev amid contract talks with Owner Jerry Jones. Miller Coors is a longtime Cowboys partner (“Undisputed,” FS1, 1/27).

It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since the tragic plane crash at Oklahoma State.

We hope for continued comfort and peace for the families of the 10 who lost their lives that day. We will always Remember the 10.

— Lon Kruger (@LonKruger) January 27, 2021

Brewers president of business ops Rick Schlesinger at today's sign raising event: "Our goal is in the summer to have full stands, but we’ll see."

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) January 27, 2021

Northwestern and Pat Fitzgerald are finalizing a 10-year extension through 2030, source tells @TheAthleticCFB. One less thing for Jim Phillips’ successor to stress over, as Fitzgerald has drawn interest from several NFL franchises the past three years. @PeteThamel had it first.

— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) January 27, 2021

Jim Rutherford managed Stanley Cup winners in Carolina and Pittsburgh. Quite a remarkable feat. It's only happened once before that a manager managed Cup winners in different markets. Tommy Gorman. And one of his teams was the Montreal Maroons. It was that long ago.

— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) January 27, 2021

Everything is happening!

For the seventh time in NHL history, we had 13 games on simultaneously. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/Mu9WsV6v7d

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 27, 2021

$2M -- Amount in pledges to the new Henry Louis Aaron Fund, which "will work to increase minority participation among players, managers, coaches and front-office personnel" in MLB. The Braves are giving $1M to establish the fund, named after the recently deceased Baseball HOFer, and that amount "will be matched by $500,000 apiece" from MLB and the MLBPA (ESPN.com, 1/27).