• Aaron Judge Wins Home Run Derby; Crowd Falls Short Of Sellout
  
• L.A. Bid Group Pitches IOC On '24 Games As Joint Award Looms
  
• Newly Rebranded NBA G League Launching First-Ever Ad Campaign
  
• Four-Day Mayweather-McGregor Media Tour Kicks Off Today In L.A.

Yankees RF Aaron Judge won the T-Mobile Home Run Derby last night at Marlins Park, and the announced crowd of 37,027 was often loud and lively. However, the event did not sell out. Title sponsor T-Mobile received more than 100,000 entries to its bracket challenge contest for the event, a 25% spike from the debut edition last year. The contest carries a top prize of four tickets to this year's World Series, plus a $500 MasterCard gift card (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer). Meanwhile, an electrical storm "settled over downtown Miami about halfway through" the Derby. The "lightning alone would have caused a delay" if Marlins Park did not have a roof, and "heavy rain might even have sent some viewers to bed" (PALM BEACH POST, 7/11).

The Derby was an early topic of conversation on NBC’s “Today” show, with host Matt Lauer noting Judge “put on a show last night in Miami” by hitting 47 home runs, “including four blasts that went more than 500 feet.” Lauer: “He is the first rookie to win it.” NBC’s Savannah Guthrie: “Way to hit it out of the park, as they say” (“Today,” NBC, 7/11).

Tickets for tonight’s MLB All-Star Game remain available at the league’s official website allstargame.com, though secondary market pricing has rebounded somewhat. Low-end get-in pricing is now around $175, up from $141 late Sunday (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer).

LA 2024 during today's presentation to the IOC implored the body for first dibs if it awards both the '24 and '28 Games simultaneously, while still trying to claim the high ground of compromise. “L.A. is ready to throw these Olympics in two months if we were asked, or two decades if it came to that, because we have everything,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti told the media, which was not allowed to see the presentation. Many believe a plan to give Paris the '24 Games and make L.A. wait until ’28 is already proceeding behind closed doors.

But Garcetti argued having L.A. go first is in the IOC’s own best interests. His reasoning: Assuming the joint award proceeds, the next time the Summer Games will be subject to open bidding will be '25, with the memory of whatever happens in '24 fresh in their minds. The smooth execution of the '24 Games will determine the future of the bid process, Garcetti said, and the city’s higher popular support and lower budget risks make it the best choice for that year. "The sooner you get to L.A., the sooner you will reignite the global passion of cities,” Garcetti said.

Some in Olympic circles believe Paris has outflanked L.A., using its flexibility against them and saying its own plans cannot deviate from '24. Garcetti said he thought L.A. had made its case for '24 forcefully enough, and then took the high road. “You can be a kid with his toys and say, ‘If you don’t give me exactly what I want, I’m getting out of here,’” he said. “But we believe in this movement too much to do that.” The IOC meets this afternoon to make the change, which will then lead to tri-party negotiations.

The NBA G League today is launching the first marketing campaign in its 16-year history with the tagline, “We Don’t Go For Good. We Go For Great.” The campaign features a 30-second spot with former NBAer and current Raptors 905 coach Jerry Stackhouse, the '17 NBA G League Coach of the Year. The spot, produced by NBA Entertainment, will debut during NBA TV’s coverage of the Spurs-Trail Blazers Summer League game later today. The campaign will run across various social media channels and digital platforms including Bleacher Report, YouTube, NBA.com and NBAGLeague.com. This comes three weeks after the NBA rebranded the D-League into the G League following its entitlement deal with Gatorade.

The media tour for the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor fight begins today at L.A.'s Staples Center before traveling to Toronto, Brooklyn and London this week. The tour is "destined to be by far the best part of this adventure" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/7). This "four-day jaunt" will "form the greatest promotional effort ever seen in combat sports." The "verbal sparring will surely make for compulsory viewing" (USA TODAY, 7/11).

Meanwhile, the PPV price for the Aug. 26 fight "has been set at $99.95 for the high definition broadcast, according to Showtime." The standard definition feed will cost $89.95 (LASVEGASSUN.com, 7/10).

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred yesterday said the three groups bidding for the Marlins each remain in play, and league and club officials were quick last night to deny a Forbes report saying that MasTec co-Founder & Chair Jorge Mas was set to win the race for the franchise. A later N.Y. Post report favoring Derek Jeter's group also ran counter to Manfred's comments. “There are actually three bidding groups, all of whom are prepared to meet the Marlins’ price,” Manfred said. “All three of those groups are in the process of doing the legal work, the financing work, the (due) diligence work. And when that’s complete, the Marlins and (Owner Jeffrey Loria) will have to decide which one of the three groups it’s going to be.”

The lease agreement between the Pistons and Olympia Entertainment for the team's move to downtown Detroit "will be presented to NBA owners" today at the league's BOG meeting in Las Vegas. The lease was signed yesterday and is "now fully documented." The team "remains on track and fully pointed toward its Oct. 4 exhibition opener at the new Little Caesars Arena." In addition to the lease deal, Olympia and Palace Sports & Entertainment have "reached agreement on a joint venture combining their entertainment businesses"(DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/11).

Meanwhile, the legal dispute over whether $34.5M in public funding should be used to finance the Pistons' move "took another twist" yesterday when the NBA, Olympia Entertainment and Palace Sports & Entertainment were "added to a federal lawsuit seeking to force a vote on the issue." The plaintiffs are arguing that the arena project and the team relocation "should not be funded with public dollars without a vote of Detroit residents" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/11).

More than 300 Nassau residents "packed" the Elmont Library yesterday for a "hearing on plans to redevelop Belmont Park, including potentially a new arena" for the Islanders. New York’s primary business development agency, Empire State Development, "plans to issue a Request for Proposals to develop the state-run property." The hearing was "sponsored by state lawmakers," and it "focused largely on the prospects of a new hockey arena for the Islanders, with area residents generally split on the idea" (NEWSDAY, 7/11).

A "couple hundred media moguls are expected in Sun Valley, Idaho," starting today for the annual Allen & Co. summit, and there is speculation that execs from Verizon, CBS Corp. and other major companies "may be sizing up some of the smaller entities for possible acquisitions." Verizon "may be considering making an offer for Disney, but while the former's CEO Lowell McAdam is expected to attend the gathering, the latter's CEO Bob Iger is not." Viacom President & CEO Bob Bakish and CBS Chair, President & CEO Les Moonves are both expected, and if they are "spotted together, it could renew speculation that the sister companies could merge."

Other execs slated to attend include 21st Century Fox' Rupert, Lachlan and James Murdoch and Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslav. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected, and "streaming sports will also be a topic" (HOLLYWOODERPORTER.com, 7/7).

Former first lady Michelle Obama will appear at tomorrow night's ESPY awards to present the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in honor of late Special Olympics Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver to Shriver's son, current Special Olympics Chair Timothy Shriver. The three-hour award ceremony airs on ABC at 8:00pm ET (Mult., 7/11). Obama "hasn’t strayed far from the awards show circuit since leaving the White House in January" (THEHILL.com, 7/10).

The Univ. of Virginia has finalized a 10-year partnership with Fermata Partners to manage the school's trademark licensing program following an extensive review process. The new partnership formally commenced on July 1 (Fermata).

The Canada Games Sport for Life Centre today opened its Qualico Training Centre, the "official legacy building" of the July 28-Aug. 13 Canada Games. The 124,000-square-foot facility will be where Sport Manitoba's provincial teams will "train and it will also be an accessible gym for the public" (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 7/11).

The @CanadaGamesSFLC building is stunning. And the views! pic.twitter.com/bqZOczpfoU

— Daryl (@justDarylD) July 11, 2017

"Absolutely, I'm going to do it – if I'm an all-star. If I make the team, then I'll definitely do it" – Nationals RF Bryce Harper, on participating in the Home Run Derby in '18 at Nationals Park (WASHINGTON POST, 7/11).

"They have to come a long ways to get here. I don't know what it takes to get fans here" – Former MLBer Brad Hand, on the Marlins losing fans who live in Palm Beach and Broward by placing their ballpark at its current location (MIAMIHERALD.com, 7/10).

"I'm very happy and hope they can perform well. In the U.S., a lot of (people) – doesn't matter if it's basketball players or people in other professions – they look at Chinese people or Asians and they surely will underestimate us. So I think if we can have more Asian basketball players it will help our masculinity a lot" – Nets G Jeremy Lin, on the lack of Asian players in the NBA (MERCURYNEWS.com, 7/10).

"This is something I will always cherish, the time that I had to spend with [Patriots Owner Robert Kraft]. There need to be more owners like Robert Kraft. He's a class act. He's personable. He's genuine. He cares. He's my kind of guy" – Pro Football HOFer Bruce Smith, after taking a trip to Jerusalem with Kraft and other HOFers (BUFFALONEWS.com, 7/10).

In a special to the WALL STREET JOURNAL, former MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent writes, "Baseball is the only major sport without a clock. ... With its disregard for time, baseball suits the elderly. For us baseball is never about yesterday or tomorrow."

The WASHINGTON TIMES goes with the header, "Former Fox Sports Executive Jamie Horowitz Embraced Debate And We Suffered." Hot takes have had a "cooling effect on moderation and reason." The "more outrageous a stance, the better for attention-fueled provocateurs."

Also:

• Nick Kyrgios profiled as tennis' "reluctant rising star."
• There are more WaPo journalists than Capitals in the DC Sports HOF.
• Memphis AD had conflict during Josh Pastner negotiations in '13.
• Stephen Ross works to make RISE a part of legacy of philanthropy.
• Kerri Walsh leaves AVP Tour to protest current power structure.

#HomeRunDerby averaged 10.7% of homes in NY market, highest rating for event in NY since at least 2001. Thanks, @TheJudge44!

— Neil Best (@sportswatch) July 11, 2017

Celebrating my 40th anniversary at #FordMotorCompany today. Boy how time flies by. So #blessed and #thankful #Ford

— Tim Duerr (@TimDuerr) July 11, 2017

ESPN’s @JasonSchwartz joining Politico to cover media, per Playbook.

— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) July 11, 2017

Nadal, as usual, signs autographs after exhausting, crushing defeat. World's best sportsman

— Harvey Araton (@HarveyAraton) July 10, 2017

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

A 3-minute hit on the stories you need to know ... Subscribe on iTunes ... Check out our podcast home.

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “The Human Body.”

“Often considered appealing, these features are a genetic defect of the zygomaticus muscles of the face.”

Rapper Snoop Dogg appeared on TBS’ “Conan” last night, with host Conan O’Brien introducing him by noting “his love for the UFC" that has "led to his latest project as commentator for the new UFC show, ‘Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series,’ which premieres” tonight. O’Brien said he listened to Snoop’s work as a UFC commentator and “you’re really good at it." O'Brien: "You’re very entertaining but it’s strange because it’s one of the most active, intense, violent, kinetic sports and you are the most laid back guy I’ve ever met.” Snoop: “Some fights will get me upbeat and get me over the top because it's based off of the fight that I'm watching. If it's a real entertaining fight and it’s action-packed then I believe that my commentary will be action-packed. But for the most part I'm just playing to the fight and I just love the UFC because you can't run in that industry. It's not like you can hide in the corner. You got to really get down. That's exciting to see and exciting to commentate” (“Conan,” TBS, 7/10). For more on the new YFC show, see today's issue of THE DAILY.

CBS’ Stephen Colbert said of the investigation of President Trump and Russia and the Russian attorney who helped facilitate a meeting involving Donald Trump Jr., “The Russian attorney is a guy named Rob Goldstone, a music publicist, who on the day after Trump's election posted a picture of himself on Instagram wearing a Russian T-shirt. That's understandable. He's just wearing the championship merchandise. All the Hillary T-shirts were sent to small villages in third-world countries” (“The Late Show,” CBS, 7/10).

“What are dimples?”