The sixth annual Sports Business Awards had a decided Olympic feel to them, as the USOC was named Sports League of the Year and USOC CEO Scott Blackmun took home the award as Sports Exec of the Year. Blackmun while accepting the league award said, “I’m shocked. It all stems from the fact that we’re rowing in the same direction.” Meanwhile, fueled in part by the strength of its coverage of the London Games, NBC Sports Group won the Best in Sports Media category.

ESPN took home two trophies last night, winning Best in Sports Television and Best in Digital Sports Media. The company was cited for both signing a bevy of long-term rights deal as well as the growing distribution of the Watch ESPN app. Two newcomers were honored – the Barclays Center won Facility of the Year in its inaugural season, while the U.S. Grand Prix took home the prize for Sports Event of the Year following the first running of the Austin-based F1 race.

Longtime White Sox and Bulls Chair Jerry Reinsdorf, accepting the '13 Lifetime Achievement Award, peppered his speech with lots of jokes and a significant emphasis on the value of service and community involvement in sports. After a retrospective video that detailed his long career in the industry, Reinsdorf quipped, "My funeral can't be any better than this."

 
See today’s issue of THE DAILY and our On The Ground blog for more on the awards and the ceremony.

Organizers of the “Long Live the Kings” rally are "preparing for as many as 10,000 fans to attend the free celebration" tonight in Sacramento's Cesar Chavez Park. Mayor Kevin Johnson, prospective NBA Kings Owner Vivek Ranadive and investors Paul Jacobs, Raj Bhathal, Mark Mastrov, Andrew Miller, Chris Kelly and Mark Friedman are slated to appear. The event begins at 5:00pm PT, and the on-stage program runs from 7:00-9:00pm. The website for KTXL-Fox will stream the event live (FOX40.com, 5/22).

The California Horse Racing Board will meet today to "hammer out details of future racing." Hollywood Park's last day of live racing will be Dec. 22 before it is "razed for development," so Del Mar and Santa Anita have "lined up to take over Hollywood’s racing dates." Santa Anita will pick up 11 weeks, "including the five weeks of Triple Crown simulcast wagering." Del Mar seeks four to five weeks, "but its bid is contingent on it getting Breeders’ Cup dates." Sources said that Santa Anita "will get the Breeders’ Cup for a third straight year" in '14 (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 5/23).

The Nets Shop by adidas at Coney Island opens today at 10:00am ET. The store is located on Stillwell Ave. between Surf Ave. and the Boardwalk, close to the original Nathan's Famous Hot Dog stand and the historic Wonder Wheel (Nets). The 1,100-square-foot boutique will offer a variety of items in the team's "signature black and white." Nets CEO Brett Yormark: "After one year, we're fourth in the NBA in apparel. ... Our colors have become synonymous with the borough" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/19).

ESPN today will formally introduce Paul Finebaum as the "newest member of its broadcasting team." The longtime Alabama radio personality will make three appearances on "SportsCenter" today and another on the "SVP & Russillo" radio show. Finebaum also is expected to "tape additional appearances on other ESPN shows that will air later." Tonight he will visit ESPN regional studios in Charlotte, where the future SEC Network will be based (AL.com, 5/22).

The NASCAR HOF last night announced its '14 induction class that features former drivers Tim Flock, Jack Ingram, Dale Jarrett and Glenn "Fireball" Roberts and engine builder Maurice Petty. Both Jarrett and Petty were "elected the first time they were on the ballot and were somewhat surprised to hear their names called during the announcement" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 5/22).

Meanwhile, SMI Chair & CEO Bruton Smith failed to make the HOF in his first appearance on the ballot and said, "If I’m inducted at a later date, I’ll do whatever I can to help grow the facility in Charlotte and continue to help grow the sport" (FOXSPORTS.com, 5/22).

AIBA President C.K. Wu today confirmed he is running for IOC President, "becoming the fourth candidate and the second from Asia bidding to replace Jacques Rogge." The Taiwanese architect joins fellow IOC execs Thomas Bach of Germany, Ng Ser Miang of Singapore and Richard Carrion of Puerto Rico as candidates to replace Rogge, who will step down in September. Sergei Bubka of Ukraine is also expected to run. The election is set for Sept. 10 in Buenos Aires (AP, 5/23).

Meanwhile, Rogge said that wrestling's governing body "has made the necessary changes to give the sport a chance of saving its place in the Olympics." He said FILA has ''reacted well'' in fixing the issues that led the IOC Exec Board in February to remove wrestling from the list of core sports for the '20 Games. However, he added the reform effort "does not guarantee" wrestling will make the list (AP, 5/23).

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that the league is not talking to Canadian communications company Quebecor about buying the Coyotes. Le Journal de Montreal columnist Rejean Tremblay previously told Montreal's CHMP-FM that "talks between the NHL and Quebecor have begun" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/22).

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday granted a request by the U.S. Department of Justice “for an extension of time to file its reply brief in the New Jersey sports betting case,” with the deadline being moved from today to next Tuesday (NORTHJERSEY.com, 5/22).

The LPGA’s first trip to Paradise Island in the Bahamas is “being cut short by rain.” Storms dumped a foot of rain on the Ocean Club Golf Course and “wiped out the pro-am Wednesday and left the course under so much water” that today’s first round was canceled (AP, 5/22).

Elon Univ. officials have called a 2:00pm ET news conference and are expected to announce that the school is "leaving the Southern Conference to join the Colonial Athletic Association" (BURLINGTON TIMES NEWS, 5/23).

"It's no longer a numbers game. It's a matter of quality and institutions that can add value to our membership" – Troy Univ. Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr., who serves as Sun Belt President, on the conference looking for a 12th member (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 5/23).

"The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is going to continue in 2014. It's too good of an event not to. Our only question is where we're going to play the game" – Little Caesars Pizza Bowl co-Founder, CEO & Exec Dir Ken Hoffman, on the bowl game possibly moving out of Ford Field after this year's game (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 5/23).

"You can say it's a world tour but something's missing if you don't come to the U.S. For the good of the sport here, we need to host major events" – Former beach volleyball player Sinjin Smith, on Long Beach hosting the first FIVB event in the U.S. in over a decade (Long Beach PRESS-TELEGRAM).

Rockets GM Daryl Morey: "Parity is simply not possible with Lebron in the league. Kudos to Pat Riley for the Chris Andersen signing."

Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell: "This must be a Dorothy-in-Oz night because somehow Shaq is making more sense than Barkley. Bizarro World."

Soccer writer Ives Galarcep: "Reyna is a great hire, perfect fit for NYC FC. Familiar with MLS, understands youth development and is respected in Europe."

GolfChannel.com's Jason Sobel: "Spoke with Webb Simpson. On anchoring debate: 'This is why we love sports. There aren't many banks where one lender is yelling at another.'"

"Family Guy" writer Julius Sharpe: "When they show NBA coaches in the huddle or locker room, it's always total generic basketball nothingness that anyone would say."

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

USA Basketball is expected to formally announce that Duke Univ. basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will return as coach of the U.S. men’s basketball team for the '16 Rio Games.

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

“Referring to a 1955 incident, she said, ‘Our mistreatment was just not right, and I was tired of it.’”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy” featured the category “Sports Biographies.”

For $200: “Number 99: ‘Greatness on Ice.’”

For $400: “An Olympian: 'The Man Who Outran Hitler.’”

For $600: “Lowering the ‘Boom Boom’ on a boxer: ‘The Good Son.’”

For $800: “It’s not a crime: ‘Occupation: Skateboarder.’”

For $1000: “A sports star of the 1930’s: ‘Wonder Girl.’”

NBC’s Jay Leno: “OJ Simpson is waiting to see if the judge will grant him a retrial. Have you seen how fat OJ has gotten? He is so fat, he changed his name from OJ to au jus. OJ is so fat, Governor Chris Christie is making jokes about him. In fact today, the wardens said OJ was not only a model prisoner, he was a plus-size model prisoner. He is so fat, instead of reading him his rights, OJ said he just wants to hear today’s specials. He is so fat, instead of being asked to be released from prison, he just wants the judge to take his pants out a little bit. The NFL is now looking for new ways to boost attendance. Apparently, high-definition TV with the unlimited replays have made watching the games at home so enjoyable that attendance is down. Really? They think the reason we stay home is our TV’s? How about the fact that we don’t have to pay 25 bucks to park in our own driveway? How about the beer in my refrigerator is not $13 a pop? (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 5/22).

Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Things I’ve Learned As A ‘Late Show’ Intern.” CBS David Letterman said, “We couldn’t do this program on a daily basis without the help of these college interns, who come to us from universities everywhere and they get college credit for plugging in the copier and it guarantees you can write your own check. Right after an internship here is like a license to print your own money.” The list was delivered live on-stage by ten of the show's current interns (“Late Show,” CBS, 5/22).

10) “Laugh at the jokes whether they're funny or not.”
9) “Attention to detail is super implortant.”
8) “Buying 100% pure grain alcohol is not as easy as it sounds.”
7) “There’s no better way to work for free and learn nothing about show business.”
6) “Weekly transfusions of our youthful blood keep Dave alive.”
5) “The camera loves me.”
4) “It’s more fun to watch television than to work in television.”
3) “Snitches get stitches.”
2) “After several months, you start to have feelings for the photocopier.”
1) “I should’ve interned for a Jimmy.”

“Who was Rosa Parks?”

Correct responses to the “Sports Biographies” category:

For $200: “Who is Wayne Gretzky?”

For $400: “Who was Jesse Owens?”

For $600: “Who is Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini?”

For $800: “Who is Tony Hawk?”

For $1000: “Who was Babe Didrikson Zaharias?"