Patrick Crumb is assuming a new role at TNT Sports, becoming president of a new division at the media company -- Sports Ventures. Crumb has been head of the company’s RSN division, a business that Warner Bros. Discovery decided it was getting out of at this time last year. TNT Sports’ new Sports Ventures unit will include the businesses of Golf Digest, NBA Digital and NCAA Digital, and will also be tasked with investing in new sports and league ventures. Crumb will continue to report directly to TNT Sports Chair & CEO Luis Silberwasser.

The logo of Select Health will be featured on the front of the RSL primary and secondary kits, beginning with the 2024 seasonReal Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC signed a long-term marketing partnership with Intermountain Health and its insurance arm Select Health. The logo of Select Health will be featured on the front of the RSL primary and secondary kits, beginning with the 2024 season. Intermountain Health also will be featured on the sleeve of both the RSL & Utah Royals jerseys. Both International Health and Select Health also will be featured prominently at both America First Field in Sandy and the Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman. 

Intermountain Health will serve as the official medical provider for both clubs and will provide medical care and expertise for players and coaches, as well as for those with Real Monarchs (MLS NEXT Pro) and athletes in the RSL Academy. Real Salt Lake and the Utah Royals partnered with Elevate to secure the marketing partnership.

Tonight's broadcast of the Panthers-Penguins game will include a "live altcast on truTV and Max" that features the "Spittin Chiclets" podcast crew -- which includes former NHLers Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney. After the pregame show, Bissonnette, an NHL on TNT analyst, will walk off the set at the network’s Atlanta HQ, "stroll over to the Inside the NBA studio next door and take part in the first-ever Spittin' Chiclets 'altcast'" alongside Whitney, co-host Brian McGonagle, a.k.a. "Rear Admiral," and sports betting expert and former hockey player Matt Murley. Because of the podcast's penchant for "R-rated language and conversations more fitting of a stereotypical NHL locker room," there will be a "Chiclets-specific seven-second delay, just in case things go off the rails." The goal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns TNT and truTV -- "besides an alternative means of entertainment -- is to see if it can lasso some of Spittin' Chiclets' cult following over to their networks" (THE ATHLETIC, 2/14).

Unseasonably warm temperatures in the 60s "helped generate a crowd that city officials estimate could top 1 million"Getty Images

One person is dead and 10 to 15 others were injured when "gunfire erupted" during today's Chiefs rally. The shots were fired at the "conclusion of the rally on the west side of Union Station near the garage" which cause the crowd to "scatter as people took cover." Officers have "detained two armed people for more investigation."  A federal law enforcement official said that there were "no immediate indications the shooting was a national security-related event," but noted that the "investigation was still ongoing" (K.C. STAR, 2/14).

Chiefs fans had been celebrating the team's third Super Bowl title in five seasons with a parade today in Downtown K.C. By the time the parade began, the streets of downtown were "lined with red-clad fans, including many children" -- as schools were "called off for the day." Thousands of others "stood on rooftops for a better view" of the players and coaches, who rode on red double-decker buses. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was on one of those buses, "holding the Lombardi Trophy." Unseasonably warm temperatures in the 60s "helped generate a crowd that city officials estimate could top 1 million." The city and the team "each chipped in around" $1M for the event (AP, 2/14).

Hunt and his wife Tavia and daughter Gracie rode in a lead team bus with coach Andy Reid and his wife Tammy. Players routinely left their buses to walk along the route and greet fans -- as QB Patrick Mahomes, LB Willie Gay Jr. "and others did throughout." By the time the parade vehicles turned right on Pershing Road to Union Station, "Mahomes and nearly every other player was walking" (K.C. STAR, 2/14). Alas for K.C. Swifties, Taylor Swift "opted out of spending Valentine’s Day at the parade with her beau," Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, because she "had to jet off to Australia to resume her Eras Tour" (K.C. STAR, 2/14).

The PWHL has reached a partnership with the Women’s Sports Network, becoming the league’s first national media partner in the U.S. The network, launched in 2022, is the first 24/7 streaming network dedicated to women’s sports. They are partnered with 17 leagues, including the LPGA, NWSL, USGA, Big East and more. Under the agreement, WSN will have "extensive live game coverage of the PWHL throughout the rest of the regular season and playoffs." The league and network were "connected by PWHL Advisory Board members Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss." WSN can be streamed Roku, Tubi, Amazon Freevee, Sling, Vizio WatchFree+, FuboTV and more. The first live game on WSN will be on tonight, when Boston takes on Toronto at 7pm ET (DAILY FACEOFF, 2/14).

A new class-action lawsuit alleges Canadian major junior hockey leagues "violate antitrust laws" in the U.S. by "colluding to restrict the negotiation powers of players." The suit, filed today in N.Y. by the North American division of the World Association of Ice Hockey Players Unions, alleges players are "subject to systemic abuses, including the artificial reduction of compensation and conducting involuntary drafts, where a team can obtain an athlete’s exclusive major junior rights without the presence of" a CBA. The Canadian Hockey League and its three major junior circuits -- the Western Hockey League, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League -- are "named as defendants" in the lawsuit. The NHL is also named as a "co-conspirator," as the lawsuit alleges the NHL "colludes with major junior leagues to prevent its players from finding employment in minor professional leagues like the American Hockey League or the ECHL" (CP, 2/14).

The Texas Rangers have inked a multiyear sponsorship deal with American Airlines that designates the company as the official and exclusive airline and airline rewards program of the club. AAdvantage members will have opportunities to unlock exclusive perks as part of the arrangement, including meet-and-greets with players. The airline’s activation of the sponsorship will also include an American Airlines-branded field-level First Base Lounge at Globe Life Field. Genesco Sports Enterprises evaluated and negotiated the partnership on behalf of American Airlines.

American is Dallas-Fort Worth’s largest carrier and the largest airline in Texas. In recent years, the airline and the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation have partnered in community efforts for Make-A-Wish, Medal of Honor Museum, Stand Up to Cancer, Seats for Heroes, Faces of Freedom and other organizations. 

Kevin Brown, the lead play-by-play announcer for the Orioles, "will return this season" and is under contract with MASN "through the end of the year," according to a source. The rest of MASN’s broadcast crew is "expected to return, too." That includes Geoff Arnold, who will "continue to split games on radio and television," Baseball HOFer Jim Palmer and former MLBer Ben McDonald as analysts and broadcaster Melanie Newman. A source noted that "major decisions, including those related to MASN and personnel, are currently on hold while control of the team transitions from CEO John Angelos to David Rubenstein," the lead investor in a group that will take a controlling interest in the team if MLB owners approve the sale (BALTIMORE BANNER, 2/14).

Meanwhile, Comcast’s contract with the MASN, which broadcasts Nationals and Orioles games, is "set to expire at the end of February." If a deal is not reached, the TV provider "would no longer show Nationals and Orioles games." MASN -- which has already undergone cost-cutting measures -- would also "lose out on valuable income" (BALTIMORE BANNER, 2/14).

NHL Blast, the league’s immersive experience through Roblox, has been updated to include full replays of the three 3-on-3 games from the NHL All-Star Weekend earlier this month.

The game launched earlier last year, followed by the recreation of all goals scored in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final last summer. Along with the All-Star integrations, users will skate around the replays for viewing from any angle and enjoy a multiplayer setup with friends. NHL Blast will also feature a new challenge mode as well. The league created NHL Blast in partnership with studio developer The Gang and visualization specialist Beyond Sports.

According to the league, players have visited NHL Blast more than 18.4 million times with over 1.4 million hours of gameplay since its debut.

Tian Pei, Head of Sports Partnerships at Roblox, will be a featured speaker at SBJ Tech Week on March 5-7 in New York City. NHL's Executive Vice President of Business Development and Innovation David Lehanski is a finalist for this year's Technology Executive of the Year in the Sports Business Awards: Tech. Winners will be announced on March 5 at an awards ceremony as part of the kickoff to SBJ Tech Week. Click here to register.

Incoming Ohio State AD Ross Bjork will "begin an interim role in the athletic department on March 1 as a senior adviser" to outgoing AD Gene Smith. Bjork will "not officially start as Ohio State's AD until July" (ESPN.com, 2/14).

The Spurs launched a new arena navigation tool within their official app and website that simplifies navigation within the Frost Bank Center. Some features include multi-level maps and QR code integration (Spurs).

Foot Locker in partnership with Nike and Jordan Brand will launch The Clinic, a year-long program bringing basketball and culture to fans, sneaker enthusiasts and local communities through interactive activations, basketball clinics and community events. The Clinic will officially launch this weekend during 2024 NBA All-Star (Foot Locker).

The Columbus Fury named Nationwide a foundational Pillar Partner for their inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation season. Nationwide becomes the Fury's jersey sponsor, along with being designated as Exclusive Property & Casualty Insurance Partner and a Financial Services Partner (Fury).

Columbus Fury

Australian Open organizers are "considering concluding the tournament with the women’s singles final rather than the men’s," in what would be a "significant shift from tradition at the sport’s four grand-slam tournaments" (London TIMES, 2/14).

The return of former Chair Colin Graves to the Yorkshire County Cricket Club has seen them finally end a "toxic" $628,110 legal battle with their "'sacked' medical chief [Wayne Morton] that saw lurid accusations made over the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal" (London TELEGRAPH, 2/14).

The NRL Penrith Panthers are "facing the possibility" of a second season away from home at Parramatta's CommBank Stadium with the $309M redevelopment of their stadium "not due to be completed until later" next year. Sources said that the team has started planning to play away from their new stadium "until midway through 2026" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/15).

More: 

• Manchester United face battle to lure Dan Ashworth from Newcastle.

🆕 kit just dropped! 🔵🔴

This is the Boston Tea Party Kit 🫖 pic.twitter.com/fbdARPq7ZB

— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) February 14, 2024

Attempting a hole-in-one...from 30,000ft?? 😱@TommyFleetwood1 | @DubaiCreekGolf pic.twitter.com/Y7wtP2mlSw

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) February 14, 2024

The Dodgers will have a Guggenheim jersey patch this season, as Dave Roberts models.

Guggenheim certainly hasn’t been subtle with the signage in the post-Ohtani signing. pic.twitter.com/9Ezzy3vixd

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 14, 2024 

3 years ago I signed an extension with ESPN. I was so grateful for more time. I excited to prove I was worth more, felt I deserved more. We disagreed, & that’s ok. I set out on a mission to leave no doubt, end all conversations about my who I was in this business. I added… pic.twitter.com/oVrClmctUg

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) February 14, 2024

The Commanders are hiring Lions senior director of player personnel Lance Newmark as assistant GM, per source.

They are also moving Martin Mayhew into a new role as senior personnel executive and advisor to GM Adam Peters.

And Marty Hurney will take on an advisory role.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) February 14, 2024

Arte Moreno spoke to the @SoCalNewsGroup today. Among the topics: whether he's selling the team.

"I am here long term. There are some people that come back and some people knew I had it on the market (in '22). I basically said it's not on the market."

More to come...

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) February 14, 2024

Prime Video has released the trailer for Giannis: The Marvelous Journey, a feature-length documentary that chronicles the journey of Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo from an impoverished childhood in Greece to the top of the basketball world. 

3 -- After Sunday's record-setting game on Fox, Caitlin Clark and the Univ. of Iowa have played in the three most-watched women's college basketball games across all networks this season to date (Austin Karp, SBJ).