The Mets this week are expected to ask at least three groups to make "binding proposals" for a minority stake in the team. Owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Saul Katz need a "cash infusion to fund operations" and are believed to be looking for $200M for up to 49% of the team. Their request will be sent to the three groups "considered leading contenders," along with "any late entrants into the field." This comes as two of the three groups in question reportedly "have bowed out of the competition" (N.Y. POST, 4/16).

L.A. city leaders today will begin to "publicly lay out their negotiating position" on the proposed Farmers Field. A committee was formed after AEG in January put forward its plan to build a $1B-plus, 64,000-seat NFL-ready downtown stadium. Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller has been meeting with AEG and said that he ''hopes to have a contract with AEG for the stadium committee to review within 90 days." He is recommending that the city "maintain ownership of the land the stadium would be built on and not to sign a lease for longer than 55 years" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 4/16).

Two years after abandoning its sponsorship of the USOC, the Kellogg Company is back. The cereal company has signed on as an official sponsor of the USOC through the '16 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Terms of the deal were not available, but official sponsors historically pay $10 -15M over a four-year period, which would put a five-year deal in the $12-18M range. Kellogg will have the right to feature the Team USA five-ring logo on cereal brands, toaster pastries, frozen waffles/pancakes, fruit flavored snack pieces, cereal bars, cookies and crackers.

Yesterday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 drew an estimated crowd of 115,000 at Talladega Superspeedway. The grandstands, which normally have a capacity of about 130,000, "had been reduced to 118,000 because large sections" of seats "were covered with tarps" (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 4/18). The track "has experienced attendance declines in the past couple years," but this "might be the first time" seats have been covered in this way. The covered sections were in the upper deck near Turns 1 and 4 (AL.com, 4/17).

The 115th Boston Marathon will be run today, and new to the race this year is the addition of a third wave of competitors. Each wave will consist of about 9,000 runners. The first wave, "including the elite men," will start at 10:00am ET, with the second wave at 10:20am and the third at 10:40am (ESPNBOSTON.com, 4/17). The '11 field reached its maximum capacity of 26,800 entries "faster than any previous year," filling up in 8 hours, 3 minutes on Oct. 18 (WASHINGTON TIMES, 4/18).

Several marketing experts said that for the race to "kick it up to the next level," a U.S. runner "needs to break the tape and don the laurel wreath in Copley Square" (BOSTON HERALD, 4/16).

MLS Toronto FC today will unveil plans for a new academy and training facility. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment plans to build a US$20M, 14-square-acre complex, which also will become the "permanent home of Toronto FC's management offices." Crews are scheduled to break ground in early May, with the project slated to open next April. It is being "funded entirely by MLSE, which signed a 20-year lease with the Canadian government" for the site. MLSE Exec VP/Venues & Entertainment Bob Hunter said that the search is on for a "significant title sponsor" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/18 issue).

Mike Dunleavy's case against the Clippers, who fired him as GM in March '10, will be heard in arbitration beginning today before Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services in Santa Monica, Calif. At issue in the "long and winding case" is the $6.75M in salary left on Dunleavy's contract. This will cap an "especially active two months" for Clippers Owner Donald Sterling's legal team; a jury last month rejected former GM Elgin Baylor's wrongful termination suit (L.A. TIMES, 4/18).