Polls in Nassau County opened this morning at 362 voting locations for a "critical vote" on whether residents are willing to borrow up to $400M to build a new Islanders arena, a minor league ballpark and "other economic development projects in the Nassau Hub area." Polls will close at 9:00pm ET. Opponents "warn of property tax hikes and note that the borrowing over its 30-year life would cost some $800 million" (NEWSDAY.com, 8/1). Nassau Board of Elections Commissioner William Biamonte said that turnout "would likely be less than 10%, compared with up to 70% for a presidential election" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/1).

Meanwhile, the Devils in a statement issued Friday said they "support the Islanders in their quest for a new arena, and urge Nassau County residents to vote yes" (THE DAILY).

NBA players and owners today will hold their "first fullscale negotiating session" since the lockout began on July 1. It will include NBA Commissioner David Stern, Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, Spurs Owner and Labor Committee Chair Peter Holt, NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter and NBPA President Derek Fisher. Staffers from the two sides "have met on several occasions" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/1). Stern and Hunter "haven't met in the same room" since talks on June 30. NBPA attorney Ron Klempner said, "I wouldn't get my hopes up. I don't think either side will make new proposals" (N.Y. POST, 8/1). 

Yahoo Sports has struck a joint venture with Gow Broadcasting Inc., formerly Mission Media Group, to create the new Yahoo Sports Radio network. The network will replace the Sporting News Radio brand, and feature some of the same programming, including "The Steve Czaban Show" and "The Tim Brando Show." But the effort will also provide an additional platform for Yahoo Sports' stable of writers, many of whom are expecting to be regular participants on the network.

The network "creates a national and local outlet for our brand and talent," said Yahoo Media Network VP Ken Fuchs. "Our partnership with Gow Broadcasting will provide more access to our users and solutions to our advertising partners." The Yahoo Sports Radio Network will be heard in more than 180 affiliate stations, including WFAN-AM in N.Y., WSCR-AM in Chicago, and KBWF-FM in S.F., Sirius Satellite Radio and several other digital and mobile outlets.

The National Football Post's Dave Miller wrote on his Twitter feed, "Sporting News Radio is now Yahoo! Sports Radio. Love both brands, but I'm old-school. Will miss the SNR brand for sure." Media writer Dan Levy , "It's all the same stuff, but I think maybe a few different affiliates? I'm saying, REBRAND if you rebrand." 

Versus will officially become NBC Sports Network on Jan. 2, and the name change is "timed to coincide with NBC's broadcast of the NHL Winter Classic and the run-up to NBC's February telecast of Super Bowl XLVI." NBC's other sports channels, such as Golf Channel, "will not be part of this rebranding." Also Comcast's RSNs "will keep their Comcast SportsNet names" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/1 issue).

As Big 12 ADs prepare to meet today in Dallas, Texas A&M Univ. is "urging the NCAA to use a 17-year-old rules interpretation that it believes would keep the Longhorn Network from airing high school games." Documents indicate A&M wants the forthcoming network classified as an "institutional publication," making it an "athletics representative of the institution." This means the AD meetings "to discuss 'institutional networks' could be the most significant for the conference in more than a year" (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/31). 

An estimated crowd of 130,000 was on hand for yesterday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Brickyard 400. The attendance "looked better" on ESPN's telecast "because some grandstands ... were closed." Ticket holders in those sections were relocated (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 8/1). But a crowd of that size "gets lost in a facility that has nearly 300,000 seats" (SI.com, 7/31).

ESPN.com's Ed Hinton writes, "NASCAR has never belonged here, and it never will. ... Sunday's second straight Brickyard crowd of barely 100,000 makes it undeniable that the thrill is gone."

A group of retired NFL players led by Pro Football HOFer Carl Eller plans to file a letter with the National Labor Relations Board today "raising concerns about how the then-decertified players union negotiated retiree benefits." The letter claims that the NFLPA "did not have the legal authority" to carry out those talks "because they were not part of a union" and that retired players were told by the NFL that the NFLPA "threatened to file unfair-labor-practice charges against the league if the league negotiated directly with retired players" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/1). 

Groups from Arizona and Tampa today are expected to deliver to the NFL their formal bids to host the Super Bowl in '15. NFL team owners are then expected to "review the two bids and pick a winner in October." Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee Chair Mike Kennedy said, "I think this is the most solid bid we've ever submitted. We have the benefit of experience. We've done this before. And it came together very well" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 8/1).

Northwestern Univ.'s athletic and marketing departments today will formally unveil a Heisman campaign for QB Dan Persa. The school shipped "two 7-pound purple dumbbells to about 80 football writers," reflecting Persa's No. 7 jersey "and the fact that Persa was named the team's 'Iron Cat' as the Wildcats' strongest player." The effort also will feature billboards near the school and near ESPN HQs in Bristol, Conn. The @persastrong Twitter handle and the Persastrong.com website have been set up (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/1).

Rays Exec VP Andrew Friedman on Saturday was "hospitalized and had an appendectomy in St. Petersburg." Friedman conducted business ahead of Sunday's 4:00pm ET trade deadline "while recovering in his hospital room" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 8/1).

KBWF-FM in S.F. today is "launching a new sports-talk format" that will be nicknamed "The Game." KBWF is the flagship station for the A's (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 8/1). 

General public tickets for the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game, scheduled for Dec. 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium, "sold out within two hours of going on sale Saturday." An additional 15,000 tickets will be made available to each school participating in the game (INDYSTAR.com, 7/31).

Nets CEO Brett Yormark said that 163 dates "have already been booked" for the Barclays Center, which is slated to open in the next year (AP, 7/30). Meanwhile, Yormark tweeted “Off to disney institute. All employees at bc will be trained by disney. We will redefine how fans in ny are treated. Very exciting stuff” (TWITTER.com, 8/1).

A record crowd of 81,807 attended Saturday's Manchester United-FC Barcelona Herbalife World Football Challenge match at FedExField. It was the "largest crowd for a soccer match in the Washington area," besting the previous high of 72,368 at FedExField for a Real Madrid-MLS DC United game in '09 (WASHINGTON POST, 7/31).

"We want to get the word out that MLS isn't a joke" – Red Bulls D Tim Ream, following the team's winning the Emirates Cup trophy with a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the EPL club's Emirates Stadium (NYTIMES.com, 8/1).

"This could be a long one because of the economy. This could ruin the NBA. They're playing with fire" – Agent Kevin Poston, on the NBA lockout (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/31).

"The reason for doing regular-season games all over the UK are partly for the fan base and partly to see if logisitically whether it can actually work and the teams that have to travel over don't get a competitive disadvantage" – NFL U.K. Managing Dir Alistair Kirkwood, who believes a British-based NFL franchise is a realistic possibility (BBC.co.uk, 7/30).

"It's kind of developed into a three-tier Premier League in the last few years, and City have come into the reckoning with the spending power that they have. It's just so difficult to keep up with the top teams" – Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish, on a spending divide between the EPL's top six teams, including Manchester City, and the rest of the league (GUARDIAN, 7/31).

"I would definitely consider it and I'm interested in it. I think it's a pretty neat opportunity. I've always wanted to race an IndyCar" – NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne, on possibly competing for the $5M bonus awarded to a non-Indy driver if they can win the Oct. 16 Izod IndyCar World Championships at Las Vegas (SCENEDAILY.com, 7/29).

"I used to sell Brooklyn in 1986 by saying downtown Brooklyn is the best downtown in America. ... I always thought it had tremendous opportunity for almost anything" – Nets investor Bruce Ratner, on building the team's new arena in the borough (AP, 7/30).

Publicis Account Supervisor Keith Stoeckeler: “Sort of amazing to see what Red Bull as a brand has done in just under 15yrs of existence. They basically own action sports.”

360 Architecture’s Chris Lamberth: “There will be others: Oakland A's owner Lew Wolff 1st to call on Frank McCourt to sell Dodgers.”

espnW’s Amanda Rykoff: “Versus to become NBC Sports Network? I was hoping for something with Kabletown in it.”

UPS Senior Project Lead of Sponsorship & Events J.W. Cannon: “Versus is exiled to the @DIRECTV equivalent of Siberia (600's). Re-branding doesn't change fact that ppl can't find it easily.”

NASCAR Driver Jimmie Johnson: "I'm watching @sportscenter and the Tigers/Angles game looked fun to watch yesterday."

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

The Celtics and Massachusetts State Lottery will honor their '10-11 Heroes Among Us Award recipients at a special ceremony at the Massachusetts State House. Celtics Managing Partner & CEO Wyc Grousbeck, CSN New England's Greg Dickerson and Basketball HOFers Bob Cousy and Tom Sanders.

See a full list of events in THE DAILY’s week ahead.

The price of movie tickets hit a new high in Q2 '11, increasing 2.15% to $8.06, according to the National Association of Theater Owners. Much of the increase is "attributed to the premium charge for 3D movies and the dearth of 3D movies in the second quarter" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 7/29).

Friday’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Los Angles landmarks.”

“A James Dean memorial can be found adjacent to this structure located at one of the high spots in Los Angeles.”

CBS' "Late Show" aired a rerun Friday.

NBC’s Jay Leno: “Rough night last night for John Boehner. Had a kidney stone, couldn't pass that either. … Earlier today the House passed Boehner's version of the bill when he got tough with his own party. He said, ‘Get your ass in line.’ Doesn't that sound like something Kim Kardashian's chiropractor would say? … The X Games started here in Los Angeles. Don't confuse that with what goes on in the San Fernando Valley. That is the ‘Triple X Games.’ You know why they have the X Games in Los Angeles? Because it's an advantage. The smog is so thick guys can hang in the air an extra second or two.  … You know who was born on this date 1907? Earl Tupper. He is the person who created tupperware. Died in 1983. They say he is still as fresh today as the day he died. … ‘Jeopardy’ host Alex Trebek had surgery today on the Achilles tendon that he snapped chasing a burglar earlier in the week. Typical Trebek: The paramedics asked, ‘Where did it hurt?’ He said, ‘The extension of two muscles in the lower leg that received its name from a tragic hero in Greek mythology.’ … According to the New York Post, Russell Brand and his beautiful wife, Katy Perry, recently hired a hypnotist for their three cats. All three cats have completely quit smoking and lost 25 pounds. … According to reports, Apple, they have more cash on hand than the U.S. government. Biggest difference between Apple and the government: Their stuff is made in China, we are owned by China. … The economy is so bad cowboys are getting probed by aliens just for the free health care” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 7/29).

“What is the Griffith Observatory?”

USC Baseball Dir of Operations Marty Butterick was a contestant on Friday’s show, finishing in second place.