Today marks one year until the Opening Ceremony of the '12 London Games, and organizers have "completed the last of the Olympic Park's permanent venues" and "promised to put on a safe and spectacular event that will captivate the world." The US$442M aquatics center was opened today, and IOC President Jacques Rogge was in London to "formally invite the world's athletes" to the Games. There will be a ceremony this evening in Trafalgar Square (AP, 7/27). The design of the medals, an "eagerly awaited secret," today also will be unveiled (REUTERS, 7/27).

LOCOG sponsor British Airways today was scheduled to fly an Airbus A318 “over the Olympic Park at 1pm to mark the countdown.” The plane has “the ‘one year to go’ slogan inscribed on its belly” (BRANDREPUBLIC.com, 7/27).

Stateside, Citi is hosting a ceremonial Citi Team USA flag-raising in N.Y. to mark the one-year-out date. U.S. Olympians Alicia Sacramone, Susan Francia and Paralympian Jeremy Campbell will take part in the event (THE DAILY).

NBC’s “Today” aired several “Countdown to London” Olympic-themed reports, with live shots from London of Olympic Stadium shown throughout the broadcast. NBC’s Peter Alexander reported officials are “saying that while the countdown is under way, they are also bang-on schedule in terms of construction for next summer's Games.” Alexander: “As London’s mayor likes to say, this city is ready for the greatest party on earth.” Gold Medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps appeared via satellite from the World Swimming Championships in Shanghai and said, “I think I'm more relaxed than I was leading into 2008. I think I'm just enjoying everything. I'm having fun. Taking everything in for the last year.” Several other Olympians, including gymnasts Alicia Sacramone and Jonathan Horton, appeared outside the “Today” studios in N.Y. (“Today,” NBC, 7/27). All NBC Universial channels and websites today will air this 60-second spot that highlights the one-year-out date (THE DAILY).

Meanwhile, data indicates that 36% of London residents are considering renting out their spare room during the Games "in order to cash in on their slice" of the US$514M rental market (London TELEGRAPH, 7/27).

Fox Sports today will formally unveil its plans for regular-season college football coverage this season. These include having former Univ. of Minnesota coach Tim Brewster as a sideline analyst working alongside lead booth team Gus Johnson and Charles Davis. On "weekends with FX doubleheaders," game announcers will be Craig Bolerjack and Joel Klatt. Fox also will use NFL rules expert Mike Pereira in what the net bills as the "first rules analyst on TV college football." Coverage also will include the animated Cleatus robot character from the net's NFL coverage (USA TODAY, 7/27).

EA Sports today in N.Y. will hold its "Madden NFL 12" Pigskin Pro-Am. Now in its third year, the celebrity flag football game represents a key promotional tool for the forthcoming Aug. 30 launch of the iconic football video game. Participants include Pro Football HOFers Dan Marino, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders and Marshal Faulk, as well as Hollywood celebrities Josh Charles, Michael Clarke Duncan, Ryan McPartlin and Chris Meloni, among others (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).

Meanwhile, shares of Electronic Arts rose yesterday after some "unexpected good news" in the company's Q1 earnings report. EA said revenue grew 23% to $999M in the three months ending June 30, and net income was $221M, up 130% from $96M in the year-ago period. The results were "higher than what analysts had expected," boosting EA shares by $0.35, or 1.5% to $24.16 in after-hours trading (L.A. TIMES, 7/27).

Big Lead Sports has struck a strategic partnership with Knicks F Amar'e Stoudemire in which the basketball star will acquire an undisclosed equity stake in the company, serve as an advisor to Big Lead Sports and help develop exclusive content. Specific online programming initiatives include basketball and lifestyle features, fantasy sports material and math-centered educational content for children. Stoudemire will become a regular contributor to BigLeadSports.com and other sites in the company's network such as Hoopshype.com and Hoopsworld.com. "Amar'e Stoudemire is one of the most socially conscious and business-savvy figures in sports today," said Big Lead Sports CEO Chris Russo. "We are very pleased to collaborate with Amar'e on creative digital programs."

Poker startup Federated Sports & Gaming today announced a deal for its Epic Poker League tournament to air on CBS' flagship network as well as Velocity, a "new network being started by Discovery Communications." A source said that Epic organizers are "paying CBS to air the show on weekends as part of a 'time buy.'" On Velocity, the poker company will be a "promotional partner," supplying the show "without payment from the channel." CBS will air seven hours of the event; Velocity will air 13 hours, plus re-airs of CBS' coverage (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/27).

The Univ. of Memphis has hired Atlanta-based Aspire Group to runs its ticket marketing and sales, giving Aspire its 10th school since it began its ticketing outsource business in '09. Aspire will place six sales reps in an office in Memphis with a heavy focus on football and basketball. Aspire also is in the final stages of closing a deal with Tulane Univ., giving the company another premium university in a large sports market. Georgia Tech was Aspire’s first client two years ago and Aspire CEO Bernie Mullin said the company’s success selling Georgia Tech tickets in the Atlanta market has helped lure other schools in similar situations. Aspire also announced deals with Army, Western Michigan, Louisiana Tech, Maryland and Rutgers this year.

Medical Mutual of Ohio has reached a deal to become the MLS Crew's official health insurer through the '13 season. Per the deal, Medical Mutual will become presenting sponsor of the team's weekly radio show, will have signs in Crew Stadium, commercial spots on radio broadcasts and advertising in the Free Kick game program (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/26).

The European PGA Tour announced that Heineken has become an official sponsor of this week's Irish Open at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club (European PGA Tour).

T’Wolves F Kevin Love "plans to play in next month’s Manhattan Beach Open" on the Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Volleyball Series. The opportunity to play in the tournament “came when Love was approached by representatives of Jose Cuervo, the tour sponsor that has four events scheduled this year” (AP, 7/26).

Last night's Juventus-Club America soccer match at Citi Field drew a crowd of 20,859. The match was part of the Herbalife World Football Challenge (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27). 

"Like New Year's Eve and the new millennium all rolled into one. It was like a huge dam bursting. A million phone calls" – Agent Joe Linta, on the new NFL CBA kicking off a four-day offseason (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27).

"I have a very difficult time seeing DirecTV ever giving that up. I think they'd be terrified of what would happen" – Mavericks Owner and HDNet Founder Mark Cuban, speaking at the Independent Show in S.F., on DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket package (CABLEFAX DAILY, 7/27).

"If we want to get into this and have everybody draw their swords, nobody's going to be left standing" – Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe, on several of the conference's schools feeling the Longhorn Network will give the Univ. of Texas a recruiting advantage (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27).

"My sole intent was to speak to the scrutiny that Harper faces on a daily basis" – Nationals Dir of Player Development Doug Harris, in a statement clarifying a previous comment in which he compared prospect Bryce Harper to Jackie Robinson (AP, 7/26).

SportsBusiness Journal's Tripp Mickle: "1 year to go. Will London open the Games w/ Page/Plant, Jagger/Richards, McCartney, Oasis, Adele? Lots of options for opening ceremony."

Hornets G Chris Paul: "Me and @carmeloanthony had a GREAT time here in Hong Kong! Next stop Chengdu...our bro @DwyaneWade meeting us there!!! #Epic #TeamJordan."

Jordan Brand Global Apparel Dir Reham Habib: "Gorgeous day in HK. Beautiful scenery. Next stop #teamjordanChengdu!!! Thx HK for tha love!"

Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman: "Can you imagine being the pirates beat writer right now?"

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Karen Price: "Just got back to the hotel and the Weds USA Today was already at my door. On that note, goodnight."

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

Hockey HOFer Pat LaFontaine will join U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC), who is the founder and co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Youth Sports, for the Capitol Hill announcement of the 112th Congress Youth Sports Legislative Agenda.

Blue Oyster Cult will play a free concert at 4:00pm ET in support of the Islanders' new arena. The event will take place in the plaza outside of the Nassau Coliseum box office.

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “The New Testament.”

“This miracle that happens in all four Gospels, including Mark 6 and Luke 9, has elements that symbolically represent Jesus.”

Snowboarder Shaun White appeared on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” last night, with host Jay Leno introducing him as “the greatest snowboarder of all time." Leno told White, “I saw you sitting on TV at the White House Correspondents Dinner. That was pretty cool. How did you get invited to that?” White: “It was something that was really cool, and I had made No. 2 on the Bloomberg power list and I got the invite. So I went out there and had some fun.” White said the event was “insane” as people “were cutting loose. It was like celebrities meet politics and like all the government officials. I don't want to say names, but they were going off.” Leno: “You see a lot of drunk governors there?” White: “They were cutting loose.” White said appearing in the new film, “Friends With Benefits,” was “really fun” and added, “I get offered these random roles all the time, but this one really I liked the cast. … I play like a version of myself. … I couldn't run my lines with my friends because I couldn't take them seriously. They were pretending to be Justin Timberlake and it was strange” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 7/26).

Tanner Faust performs "drift parking" during appearance on Letterman

X Games Gold Medalist Tanner Faust appeared on CBS’ “Late Show” last night to promote this weekend’s X Games in L.A. Driving a Ford Fiesta Rallycross car, Faust was challenged to parallel park between two New York City taxicabs on 53rd Street outside the Ed Sullivan Theater during the broadcast. Letterman called the stunt “drift parking” and asked, “Have you ever done this before?” Faust: “I have never done this, especially in New York City.” Faust successfully parallel parked his Rallycross car at high speed and Letterman said, “It’s just that easy.” Letterman joked, “Immediately after the show, Tanner is presenting me with the keys to the car” (“Late Night,” CBS, 7/26).

MONOLOGUES:

CBS’ David Letterman: “New York state is the place to come if you're a gay homosexual and you're looking for a place to get married. In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg will perform the ceremony and not only that, he'll also be the little figure on your cake. … The last three or four weeks here in the northeast we've been under what they call a ‘heat dome.’ It used to be like a hot spell or a heat wave. That doesn't work anymore. The heat is starting to drive folks crazy. Earlier I was talking to a woman from Santa Fe and she said, ‘Why don't we get us one of those retractable heat domes?’ … The United States, we have no money. They're thinking how can we get money? We don't want to raise the debt limit, what do we do? They're going to sell the naming rights to the heat dome. It could be the Papa John's Pizza Heat Dome. How about Tostitos Heat Dome. How about the Chick-Fil-A Heat Dome? Dr. Pepper Heat Dome? … Congressman Wu was making unwanted advances. Something like this hasn't happened in a week or so. Unwanted advances and I'm thinking, ‘Do you guys ever make wanted advances?’ … The NFL lockout is over. Everybody agreed and now we have a solution. It's too bad the national debt is not as important as football, you know? Just a shame. $14 trillion, but by God, football is back! … August 2nd the United States government runs out of money. Do you folks have a little something put away? They may have to stop paying Captain America. … Jeb Bush could be running for president in 2012. To me, Bush presidencies are like ‘Caddyshack’ movies. They should have stopped at one” (“Late Show,” CBS, 7/26).

NBC’s Jay Leno: “The NFL labor dispute is resolved. Raider fans are already starting to set aside bail money right now. … I guess it's a pretty standard agreement. The owners will get more money, the players will get more money and fans will pay through the nose. … One of the key factors of the new agreement: Brett Favre can never come out of retirement again. … We are $14 trillion in debt. Imagine grocery shopping at Whole Foods every day for a month. That would be the equivalent. … The entire town of Scenic, South Dakota, is for sale for $799,000. Twelve acres, has a saloon, post office and 15 Starbucks. That's not unusual, buying an entire city. People have been doing it for years. It’s called Washington, D.C. … It was so hot in New York, the Yankees actually worked up a sweat beating the Seattle Mariners. … Last night, Seattle Mariners set a franchise record by losing their 16th game in a row. In fact, Seattle’s losing streak is so historic this was actually predicted by the ancient Mayans. … A man woke up after spending 21 hours in a morgue. His family thought he was dead. Another close call for Larry King. … This past weekend in New York City, gay couples were finally allowed to get married. TV people jumped right on this. CBS has a show in development. It's called, ‘How I Met Your Mother But Ended Up With Her Brother.’ … Police in England have contacted Kate Middleton believing she may have been the target in this News of the World hacking scandal. The reason they were hacking Kate Middleton’s cell phone: To get Pippa's number” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 7/26).

LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Ways Barack Obama Can Win Over The Republicans.” Letterman: “It's going right down to wire. August 2nd there’s not going to be any money, China will come and take over the country. It's going to be ugly” (“Late Show,” CBS, 7/26).

10) “Show up to next meeting in a Captain America uniform.”
9) “Burn everyone a really cool mix CD.”
8) “Bribe them with free tickets to a Larry the Cable Guy show.”
7) “Raise the debt ceiling, but do it with a fun sound effect.”
6) “Do something about the g**damn heat.”
5) “Swap places with another guy named Barack Obama -- hey, don't miss the new reality show ‘Same Name’ Sundays at 9 PM on CBS!”
4) “Put Chuck Norris on the nickel.”
3) “Like I'm the right guy to ask for advice on winning people over.”
2) “Don't be such a poor sport when they call him a socialist, foreign-born, radical Muslim who's trying to destroy America.”
1) “Kill Bin Laden again.”

“What is feeding the five thousand with loaves and fishes?”