Chargers Chair Dean Spanos prior to yesterday's Raiders-Chargers game told CBS sideline reporter Scott Kaplan that he is "leaning toward moving" the team to L.A., but "would have stayed in San Diego had Measure C received 50 percent of the vote." However, Spanos following the game said of Kaplan's report, "I said I was not going to make up my mind until after the season. He asked the question, ‘Are you closer to leaving than staying?’ I said, ‘That would probably be an accurate statement.’ I also said I'm not going to make up my mind until after the season. ... Everything is in place. I'm waiting on the city of San Diego" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 12/19).

Meanwhile, Raiders fans "made up at least" 70% of the 68,352 in attendance at Qualcomm Stadium for yesterday's game. In person, the pro-Raiders cheers were "louder than the CBS telecast likely conveyed" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 12/19). The Chargers yesterday opted to "skip pregame player introductions." Chargers coach Mike McCoy "explained the decision as wanting the team to come out together as one" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 12/19).

The Jaguars fired coach Gus Bradley late yesterday afternoon “after the team’s ninth consecutive loss.” Owner Shad Khan “made the decision to fire” Bradley, who was informed by GM Dave Caldwell “moments after the Jaguars lost” 21-20 to the Texans at NRG Stadium. Caldwell “remains in charge of the team’s football operations and will conduct a press conference” today to name an interim coach. Khan in a statement said that Caldwell “will remain in place and lead the search for a new coach” (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 12/19).

The Spurs last night retired Tim Duncan’s No. 21 jersey after their win over the Pelicans yesterday at AT&T Center, and “after surviving half an hour of other people saying nice things about him,” Duncan “shocked the world and spoke for more than four minutes.” Duncan said, “I won a lot of bets tonight. I didn’t wear jeans. I wore a sport coat. I spoke for more than 30 seconds.” A sellout crowd of 18,615 fans were on hand to “witness a celebration that was not quite a farewell.” Spurs Gs Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili gave speeches, and former NBAer Sean Elliott “served as emcee” (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 12/19).

Duncan was “left speechless at points by cheers and shouts of ‘we love you!’” He “pounded his heart with the microphone as the crowd roared.” The ceremony even left him and coach Gregg Popovich “fighting back tears” (AP, 12/19).

ESPN today will unveil details for its slate of five NBA games on Christmas. The cable net's three games will feature alternate viewing experiences on ESPN3/WatchESPN, including NBA Surround DataCenter, which will highlight graphic displays of in-game data and stats. ABC's two games also will have an alternate streaming experience, with NBA Surround Multiview featuring different camera angles. Spanish-language coverage of the Clippers-Lakers game will get a boost, as ESPN2 will simulcast ESPN Deportes' call of the game in the 10:30pm ET window. As previously announced, Magic Johnson will make his return to "NBA Countdown" crew on Christmas after leaving the net in '13, while Michelle Beadle will make her Christmas hosting debut on the pregame show. All five games will also feature a new open with music from recording artist Holidelic.

Later this week, read an interview in THE DAILY with ESPN NBA Senior Coordinating Producer Tim Corrigan.

The temperature at kickoff for Titans-Chiefs yesterday “was a bone-chilling 1 degree.” That is “the coldest for a Chiefs game since they started keeping records of such things” in ’94. The wind chill of minus-9 "was the second lowest, topped only by a minus-12" in '08 (K.C. STAR, 12/19). Meanwhile, the temperature for Packers-Bears "was 11 degrees with a 12 mph breeze out of the west, creating a wind chill of minus 4." That made it "the sixth-coldest Bears game at Soldier Field on record." The frosty conditions -- along with the Bears' 3-10 record entering the game -- "contributed to 16,536 tickets going unused" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/19). 

Telemundo Deportes today will roll out a six-month multiplatform promo campaign highlighting the '17 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia in June. The campaign includes a series of spots focusing on the participating teams. Several of the Spanish-language network's daily shows will feature Telemundo Deportes' voices Andrés Cantor, Sammy Sadovnik, Copán Alvarez, Carlos Hermosillo and Ana Jurka speaking about what to expect from the soccer event (THE DAILY).

FS1’s Skip Bayless held a Facebook Live stream on his official page to break down last night's Buccaneers-Cowboys game when “apparently he commented on the stream, patting himself on the back.” The comment written by his official account read, “Skip you are the man!!! Love the new show on FS1!!!” Only Bayless or an approved administrator for his official page “can post from that account” (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 12/18).

Univ. of Minnesota football players are "considering wearing helmet stickers at the Holiday Bowl to raise awareness against sexual violence," according to a source. The players have "discussed different ways of raising money for sexual violence charities and advocacy groups" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 12/19).

Penguins C Sidney Crosby, LW Carl Hagelin, RW Phil Kessel and GM Jim Rutherford yesterday while in Toronto presented the Hockey HOF with a ‘16 Stanley Cup championship ring (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 12/19).

“The courage, the fight, the grace, the good humor he continued to carry all the way through … that’ll be an inspiration to any of us who ever spent any time around him at all” – Thunder play-by-play announcer Brian Davis, on the recently deceased Craig Sager (NEWSOK.com, 12/17).

“I don’t think I’m expert enough to say, but yeah, I think adding an extra body in a big, fast game like we have -- and if they were full time -- is probably a plus. Anything that the powers that be think that can improve the (game), we’d be for that” – Patriots President Jonathan Kraft, on speculation the NFL may add an on-field official (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/19).

“I myself have had some serious mixed feelings about it because the regular season is really, really meaningful now and if you add eight teams, some of those big games wouldn't have the drama and urgency that they had” – AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco, on whether there is support to expand the College Football Playoff (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 12/18).

"There’s a lot of chemistry on this team, and there’s just a whole different attitude now. We’re not ‘those Titans’ anymore" – Titans Controlling Owner Amy Adams Strunk, on the team's step forward this season, highlighted by yesterday's win against the Chiefs (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 12/19).

"What people will find as they get to know me and see how I operate is I’ll earn their trust as we move forward" – New Liberty Univ. AD Ian McCaw, on his transition into the role after his resignation amid scandal at Baylor (Lynchburg NEWS & ADVANCE, 12/18).

The SEATTLE TIMES writes it "makes sense" for the two groups vying for a local arena project, run by Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke and hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen, respectively, to "discuss joining forces." Leiweke "doesn't need to broker sit-downs with Hansen's side." Thanks to family connections, it is "as simple as" Oak View's Lance Lopes asking Hansen associate Wally Walker "to 'pass the salt' at the next holiday meal."

The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE's Gene Collier wrote under the header, "Athletes Emerge Again As Torchbearers For Our Nation's Most Pressing Issues." Current political upheaval "threatens to cast its prominent minority athletes back into the historical backwoods out of which people like Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali had to hack a path to freedom."

Also: 

• Sources: Ari Emanuel declined to release Donald Trump Miss Universe tapes.
• Chiefs Chair Clark Hunt's 10 years in charge have been "marked by trial and error."
• Unlike most college athletes, e-sports players "stand to get a piece of the action."

#Giants now unlikely to be flexed in Week 17. @NFL and @SNFonNBC try for win-and-you're-in/lose-and-you're-out types games in that slot.

— Neil Best (@sportswatch) December 18, 2016

Just got word from my publisher that, 'Legends Club,' is going into a sixth printing. Love those Christmas sales!...

— John Feinstein (@JFeinsteinBooks) December 19, 2016

Realize it sounds better for the story, but chances of Brock Osweiler receiving $72M from the Texans are about the same as you receiving it.

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) December 19, 2016

So #Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott gets flagged for jumping in Salvation Army bucket. But #NFL Network promos moment on its website. Hmm?

— Jason Cole (@JasonColeBR) December 19, 2016

Friday’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Western Hemisphere Geography.”

“The two Central American nations that border only one ocean.”

“What are Belize and El Salvador?”