The NFL for the first time yesterday said it would agree to have independent neurologists on the sidelines during games, but emphasized that team physicians should still retain ultimate control over whether a player returns to action. That appears to conflict with the NFLPA, as Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith said during the union’s annual Super Bowl press conference that the decision should reside with the neurologist. At a player safety press conference, believed to be a first at the Super Bowl, NFL Exec VP & General Counsel Jeff Pash said the neurologist would be an adviser to the team physician, and disagreed the league had “conceded” the issue.

The NFL in the past has resisted the move of having doctors independent of the teams on the sidelines. The NFLPA’s position is that players do not trust team medical personnel and independent doctors are necessary. Smith even called for a new NFL director of player safety. Pash said he expected the neurologists to be on the sidelines for the '13 season.

Panini America has signed West Virginia QB Geno Smith, a likely high first-round pick in the NFL Draft, to an endorsement deal. Smith will be featured in social/digital campaigns for Panini and on trading-card packaging. Smith’s first trading cards will debut in Panini's '13 Score Football release in May. He also will participate in a Panini Pop Warner Skills Clinic Saturday with Buccaneers RB Doug Martin and Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph.

CBS is not planning to address a controversy involving studio analyst Dan Marino during the network's Super Bowl XLVII pregame show, CBS Sports Group Chair Sean McManus told THE DAILY Thursday. When asked if Marino would talk about an out-of-wedlock child he had with a production assistant, McManus said, "I think not, but that decision hasn't been made. Dan has made his statement, and I think that, as far as we're concerned, is all that CBS will be saying about it." The N.Y. Post first reported the story, including a statement from Marino in which he acknowledged the child.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Gary Bettman becoming NHL commissioner. While he has received his share of criticism for presiding over three work stoppages, his tenure also has seen the league grow from 24 teams and roughly $400M in revenue to 30 teams and revenues topping $3B, with an average player salary of $2.4M. Brian Burke, who worked under Bettman at the league offices from '93-98, said, "He's just so bright and such a good leader." Former NHLer Glenn Healy: "He's made a lot of players a lot of money" (ESPN.com, 1/31).

The L.A. TIMES' Helene Elliott writes under the header, "Two Sides Of NHL's Gary Bettman: League Innovator And Lightning Rod" (L.A. TIMES, 2/1).

Ohio State Univ. trustees today are expected to vote in favor of raising home football and basketball ticket prices "to both help offset rising operating costs of the school's 36 sports and increase the athletic department's support of academic programs." Football prices for '13 would go from $70 to $79. The proposal also would "allow the university to decide whether to have one or two premium home games each season." Men's basketball tickets would go up starting in '13-14, but there would be "no price increase for nonconference games unless they are designated premium games" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 2/1).

The UFC beginning next week will release an official set of rankings in an "effort to appeal to more sports fans than ever before." UFC President Dana White, announcing the plans at a press conference yesterday to promote UFC 156, "compared what's dubbed as 'UFC Rankings' to the AP college football or basketball polls." White said that 90 media members would vote on a "top-10 poll for all eight weight classes as well as a pound-for-pound list." The UFC has invited an initial 75 voters (LAS VEGAS SUN, 2/1).

Accounting firm Deloitte said that EPL clubs spent about US$190M on players in the January transfer window this year, "double the total of January 2012." The figure was short of the record $356M spent in January '11. Three clubs – Queens Park Rangers, Liverpool and Newcastle – contributed "more than 50% of the total outlay this year." Deloitte's Dan Jones said that when "taking into account transfer income," EPL clubs' net transfer spend was $111M (BBC.co.uk, 2/1).

USA Today this morning featured a variety of sports-related advertisements ahead of this weekend's busy schedule that includes Super Bowl XLVII and UFC 156. Below is a rundown of the ads found in today's paper:

The Milk Processor Education Program is running a full-page "got milk?" ad that features 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and Ravens RB Ray Rice.

Mercedes-Benz is running a full-page ad with an image of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the copy, "This Year We Guarantee A Thrilling Fourth Quarter."

The NFL is running a full-page ad in the paper's Life section promoting CBS' Saturday night broadcast of the second annual NFL Honors awards show.

The UFC is running a full-page ad promoting Saturday night's UFC 156 event at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The card is headlined by a Jose Aldo-Frankie Edgar featherweight championship bout (THE DAILY).

Private equity firm Forstmann Little & Co. reportedly has stopped shopping 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide Inc. "after offers came in below their asking price." Forstmann bought the fitness-club chain for $1.6B in '05 and "had sought roughly $2 billion for the business" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/1).

McDonald's has awarded Brazil-based ad agency Taterka Comunicacoes "a global creative assignment" for next year's FIFA World Cup. Taterka already works with McDonald's in Brazil and 17 other Latin American countries (ADAGE.com, 1/31).

The NHL Kings have relaunched the LAKingsInsider blog and hired FoxSports.com's Jon Rosen "as their new team-paid beat reporter." Rosen replaces Rich Hammond, who left during the lockout (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 2/1).

The office of Sacramento City Manager John Shirey has "launched a feasibility analysis" of different locations at the Downtown Plaza site for a proposed NBA arena for the Kings (SACBEE.com, 1/31).

Former UFC fighter Randy Couture has released his Xtreme Couture signature cologne, which marks the official launch of an accessories division to his Xtreme Couture MMA clothing brand (Xtreme Couture). 

"We have probably set an unrealistic level of expectations with our fans. I think they've come to expect something that's actually quite unusual in pro football. It's a high-class problem from where we came from when we bought the team" – Patriots Owner Robert Kraft, on the team going to five Super Bowls in the last 12 years (BOSTON HERALD, 2/1).

"I know the concept is good and something we need to do. Obviously, it's not working the way it should" – NBC's Tony Dungy, who feels that the NFL's Rooney Rule needs to be tweaked to promote more minority hiring (AP, 1/31).

"Once you're gone, you're gone. And if some of your organs or body parts can help somebody else or help further the understanding of the effects of football, then I'm all for it" – Ravens C Matt Birk, on his decision to donate his brain to a Boston Univ. study on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Mult., 1/31).

“It’s certainly not a popularity contest and the commissioner has duties beyond just pleasing the players” – NFL Exec VP/Football Operations Ray Anderson, on a USA Today poll that stated 61% of NFL players disapprove of the job Commissioner Roger Goodell has done (“Costas Tonight,” NBC Sports Network, 1/31).

"I love the idea. I think it would be great for the city. For all those people who can't, unfortunately, make it to our games, there'd be a second option. But the chances of that getting passed, I don't know what they are" – Maple Leafs C Nazem Kadri, on the possibility of a second NHL team in the Toronto market (TORONTO STAR, 2/1).

Bloomberg News' Tariq Panja: "Given Beckham's global appeal chances are image rights portion of his agreement with PSG may be just as big if not bigger than salary."

TrinityOne Sports CEO Lou Imbriano: "Sports Business people that refer to wins & losses when it comes to their business are missing the point & power of the #sportsbiz."

Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya: "To all the GoldenBoy fans, thank you for your loyal support and always believing in me. Sooner than later fights will get made. #not2worry"

T’Wolves Senior VP/Tickets & Premium Seating Ryan Tanke: "Solid strategy welcoming the Lakers to town with coldest day of the year. Warm up at Target Center tonight, tip off at 8:30. #WolvesUnited"

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

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Fundraising.”

“In 2011 the city of Savannah granted an exemption allowing the sale of these items outside Juliette Gordon Low’s birthplace.”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” was part of the “Teen Tournament” and featured the category “Sports Talk.”

For $200: “In sewing it’s a paper model of a garment; in football it’s a receiver’s route.”

For $400: “When Michael Phelps talks about the 200 fly, he means a race using this stroke.”

For $600: “Try a jumper from beyond the three-point line and you’re shooting the basketball from this part of a city.”

For $800: “At this baseball position, having a great cutter can make you a star.”

For $1000: “Leaping almost upside down to volley the ball overhead makes this reverse kick one of soccer’s most exciting plays.”

CBS’ David Letterman: “Are you thrilled about the Super Bowl? The big story is it’s the brothers, the Harbaugh brothers. You know the Harbaugh brothers don’t you, Wilbur and Orville? … If you want to go down to the game in New Orleans, let’s say you want to sit on the 50-yard line, tickets are $50,000. You are so close you can smell the deer antler spray. All of a sudden we’re talking about deer antler spray. Before this weekend had anybody heard about deer antler spray? Ray Lewis, linebacker for your Ravens, injured his triceps and he used deer antler spray to heal it up. Now before you kids start using the deer antler spray there are a couple of side effects. Number one, skittishness and number two, freezing in headlights. … I’m telling you we are so close to the Super Bowl weekend becoming an official, federal, national, three-day holiday. We've got to take Monday off because it’s a waste anyway, isn’t it? You know who’s having a Super Bowl party? Manti Te’o. He’s already hired an imaginary caterer. … A-Rod may be leaving the Yankees and if he goes, this means the Yankees could save $200 million. For that they can have two overpaid disappointments” (“Late Show,” CBS, 1/31).

NBC’s Jay Leno: “Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino has admitted he fathered a child while having an extramarital affair with a CBS production assistant. You've got to give it to Dan Marino, even at age 51 he can still spot an open receiver. He was the master of the two-minute drill. Here’s the worst part of the story: The story broke on Marino’s 28th wedding anniversary. Today, Manti Te’o said, ‘That’s why you have imaginary girlfriends!’ It seems Marino paid this woman millions of dollars to keep quiet about this baby. That was money well spent. In fact, you know where he could end up? Governor of California. … Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis once again denied using the banned substance deer antler velvet extract. He says these accusations are nothing more than a trick of the devil. Today, Bill Belichick said, ‘Why am I getting dragged into this?’” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 1/31).

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel: “On Sunday the San Francisco 49ers take on the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. If this Super Bowl goes well next year they're thinking about doing a XLVIII. They spend a lot of money on these commercials. Shouldn’t they run the beer and the chip commercials before the Super Bowl? It’s not like you're going to run out to the store after the game and stock up for next year. … There’s a petition going around asking President Obama to make the day after the Super Bowl – Super Bowl Monday – a national holiday. After a long exhausting day of sitting on the couch watching TV, I need a day off. Isn’t that kind of disrespectful to our real holidays like, ‘Free Slurpee Day?’" (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 1/31).

Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert said, “We are just days away from Super Bowl Sunday and I could not be more pumped! It’s like football Christmas if Christmas were more commercialized. I love everything about football: The ‘Sweet Science,’ the pick-and-roll, ‘from downtown,’ ‘you sunk my battleship.’” Colbert said he was “just dying to see the San Francisco Earthquakes face off against the Baltimore, I want to say, Trashcan Fires.” Colbert said of accusations Ravens LB Ray Lewis used deer antler spray, which contains a substance banned by the NFL, “Deer antler spray, which of course was banned after Lance Armstrong became the first hooved winner of the Tour de France.” Lewis has denied the accusations and said this was how the devil worked, to which Colbert said, “Well said, because the best way to prove that you’re not on drugs is to talk about how the devil is trying to make you do things” (“The Colbert Report,” Comedy Central, 1/31).

Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Words That Kind of Sound Like ‘Harbaugh.’” Letterman said, “On Sunday, the Harbaugh brothers will be coaching against each other in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. I don’t think this has ever happened. Has this ever happened? Wait a minute, Vince and Larry Lombardi. They coached against each other didn’t they?” (“Late Show,” CBS, 1/31).

10) “Hairball.”
9) “Store-bought.”
8) “Cardboard.”
7) “Marmot.”
6) “Hoopla.”
5) “Raw bar.”
4) “Arby’s.”
3) “Chutzpah.”
2) “Sup, bro?”
1) “Hoo-ha.”

“What are Girl Scout cookies?”

Correct responses to the “Sports Talk” category:

For $200: “What is a pattern?”

For $400: “What is butterfly?”

For $600: “What is downtown?”

For $800: “What is pitcher?”

For $1000: “What is a bicycle kick?”