The USTA and ESPN decided to "rip out 16 seats" from Louis Armstrong Stadium and add a lower camera after "many complaints about the television view." The change had been "discussed since Monday afternoon, after scores of tennis fans joked on social media that matches looked like they were being broadcast from a helicopter or blimp." By yesterday morning, the new camera was up, "seven feet below the spot that created all the high views," and the new look is "noticeably better." ESPN said the court’s schedule -- three matches during the afternoon and two at night -- required the net and the USTA to "work on the project when the day’s matches were finished." They started around 12:30am ET Wednesday and finished by 4:30am (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/30).

Meanwhile, the WASHINGTON POST writes Louis Armstrong Stadium's makeover has "amplified the U.S. Open experience."

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser yesterday "left no doubt" that a new Redskins stadium should be housed on the site currently held by RFK Stadium. She said that she is "focused on reusing the land occupied by RFK Stadium now that DC United has departed for its own new stadium." Bowser said that the "'model' would be the DC United agreement, in which the city provided the land to the team free on a long-term lease and the team was responsible for building the stadium." Redskins Owner Dan Snyder "echoed her sentiment." The Redskins ideally would "like to choose and announce the site for the stadium by the end of the year" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/30).

The USGA will not replace the chief commercial officer position formerly held by Sarah Hirshland, who left the organization in July to become CEO of the USOC. Instead, the USGA has undergone a restructuring that divides the duties among executives within the organization. John Bodenhamer has moved from USGA Senior Managing Dir of Championships & Governance to Senior Managing Dir of Championships with oversight of all USGA championships. Thomas Pagel moves from USGA Senior Dir of Rules/Golf & Amateur status to Senior Managing Dir of Governance. Both will report to CEO Mike Davis, effective immediately. USGA Chief Legal Officer Chris Fraser has assumed temporary oversight of marketing, communications and global content departments.

The King County Council yesterday again "voiced concerns over the Mariners’ request" for $180M in public funds for Safeco Field and "delayed any decisions for at least a week." The meeting was to "include a possible vote, but officials called for a follow-up hearing Sept. 5" to discuss the counterproposal to cut ballpark funding down to $25M and "use the rest for affordable housing." The Mariners have said if the county rejects the public funds they would "negotiate a short-term lease to stay at Safeco next season while it tries to work out a different long-term deal" (SEATTLE TIMES, 8/30).

Austin-based digital media company FloSports has surpassed 2,500 events streamed this year, up 91% from ’17, and signed more than 150 new rights deals including major pacts with PBA and Int’l Volleyball Federation (FIVB). FloSports execs said they have also been buttressed by the arrival and development of larger competitors such as ESPN+ and YouTube TV. FloSports co-Founder & COO Mark Floreani said, “We are continuing to eat our way up the (rights) food chain.” FloSports now has an undisclosed six-figure number of paid subscribers with an average subscriber age of 34. The company is also currently in the process of hiring a new CEO to succeed Martin Floreani, Mark’s brother. Meanwhile, another funding round in early ’19 is likely following a $21.2M Series B round in ’16.

A new twice-weekly online video show, "ACC Today With Bill Roth," debuts today on Roanoke.com. ESPN's Roth, who called Virginia Tech sports on radio for 27 years, "will host the interactive video program about ACC sports each Monday and Thursday throughout football and basketball seasons." During late spring and summer, the program "will appear weekly." Roth's program also "will be accessible through a network of BH Media websites," which includes other Virginia newspapers' sites (ROANOKE TIMES, 8/26).

LeBron James "will have a front-row pew for Aretha Franklin's funeral" tomorrow at Detroit's Greater Grace Temple. Basketball HOFer Isiah Thomas is "scheduled to speak" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/30).

The Falcons "plan to open the retractable roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium" for tonight's preseason game against the Dolphins (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 8/30).

The Cardinals lost to the Pirates 2-0 at Busch Stadium last night "before a season-low paid crowd of 33,438 but an actual one of only 22,852" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 8/30).

"I finally told the director, ‘I can’t do it, I can’t do it. I’ll go up to the edge, but this feels over the edge. I’m not comfortable. ... And right then, I cannot make this up, one of the parents of the child actors runs out onto the set and tells the director, ‘I want him to hit my kid in the face!’" -- Peyton Manning, on his memorable United Way sketch on "SNL" back in '07 (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 8/30).

"[Knowing and ins and outs] of when to jump in, when to get out. Somebody’s talking in your head and you don’t say 'okay' (to the producer) on the air" -- CBS NFL analyst Bruce Arians, on what he needs to work on the most in his first year on the broadcast team after retiring from coaching (AWFULANNOUNCING.com, 8/29).

"It’s a place to be seen and enjoy a beverage of your choice. ... It’s a New York kind of happening, so not every seat in these stadiums are full, but I’m telling you, try to get around these grounds and they are jammed” -- ESPN’s Cliff Drysdale, on the atmosphere at the U.S. Open (“U.S. Open,” ESPN, 8/29).

North American box office ticket sales will "close out the summer season" with a more than 14% increase, the "largest percentage gain since" '98, according to research firm comScore. Disney alone has "almost doubled its sales from a year ago," while Universal Pictures and Paramount are also "up substantially" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 8/29).

The WASHINGTON POST writes under the header, "'It Was Only A Matter Of Time': Security Of Esports Events Scrutinized After Jacksonville Shooting." Called for increased measures after Sunday's tragedy have been "particularly directed at smaller-scale events." While larger esports competitions have the "benefit of the baseline security measures offered by a bigger venue," events such as the one in Jacksonville have "largely been allowed to operate independently, with little or no security oversight." 

The N.Y. TIMES goes with, "After Urban Meyer Suspension, Some At Ohio State See A Culture Of Sports Above All." With alumni that "include the governor, a U.S. senator, the state treasurer, several members of congress and leaders from business, industry, the legislature and the arts," OSU has "long been an indomitable civic force." But multiple scandals "tied to the university’s sports program have forced many" to "question its culture of sports above all, as well as the men who lead it."

Also: 

• This year's top NFL games that advertisers "won't want to miss."
• The latest "radical pitch to save baseball" is one you haven't heard before. 
• Nationals Park, Audi Field: "Parallel universes served by same Metro station."

DYK that 38 years ago today I hired @espnmikes as the very first intern @espn. This very bright & enthusiastic @UConn grad, whose Dad, Joe (UConn's SID), was a huge help as our journey began, is now ESPN's ViP Corporate Communications. Happy Anniversary Mike! Well done!!!

— Bill Rasmussen (@Bill_ESPN) August 29, 2018

A little more friendly debate would work for The Shop. LeBron needs to book Stephen A. Skip Bayless, Clay Travis, Charles Barkley and David Blatt as guests.

— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) August 29, 2018

Love the small details in early game contracts in CFB

For instance, Washington's Chris Peterson had in their contract for their game vs Auburn that the roof would not be open as Huskies aren't used to practicing in the humidity and didn't want it to be a factor vs Auburn

Smart

— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) August 30, 2018

All I’m saying is that Big Al didn’t get famous by hitting behind the runner.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) August 29, 2018

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

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The Stars will hold a ribbon cutting for the 80,000-square-foot Mansfield StarCenter, the eighth such facility that the NHL team has opened in North Texas. Mansfield will own the $18.8M, two-rink venue, while the Stars will operate it.

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

“A 12-minute piece of music from this opera depicts alpine dawn, a storm and the calm, and ends in a section called a galop.”

“What is ‘William Tell?’”