The NFL Cardinals today will introduce Kliff Kingsbury as their new coach after he "agreed to a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth year." Kingsbury met with Cardinals President Michael Bidwill and GM Steve Keim "throughout the morning" yesterday after "interviewing with the Jets on Monday." He was the "fifth and final head coaching candidate the Cardinals interviewed" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/9). Kingsbury was fired by Texas Tech after a 35-40 record in six seasons, and there is no question he “is an out-of-the-box hire" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/9).

Meanwhile, former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians "agreed to a four-year contract" with the Buccaneers with a "club option for a fifth year." Arians, 66, will become the NFL's "oldest head coach in the last 20 years at the time of his hiring." Arians retired from coaching following the '17 season with "one year remaining on his contract" with the Cardinals. The NFL initially said that "no compensation was needed" for his former team. Then the Cardinals "pressed the issue and the Bucs agreed to trade their sixth round pick to Arizona in exchange for the Cardinals' seventh round pick and the rights to Arians" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/9).

MLS today is expected to announce that it has "finalized a deal with a new ownership group" to keep the Crew in Columbus. MLS Commissioner Don Garber is expected to attend. This comes as Austin FC leaders confirmed that the team "will host what has been termed a 'Legendary Announcement' on Jan. 15," at which "all signs point toward Garber officially recognizing Austin FC" as the league's 27th franchise. The "main presenters" at the event will be Garber, Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Austin FC Chair & CEO Anthony Precourt, the former Crew Owner (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 1/9).

The DC Council "put off a decision" on whether to "skip competitive bidding and award a sole source contract for management of the city's new venture into sports betting." After the Council approved legal sport betting last month, members yesterday said that they wanted to give the "public time to weigh in." DC Lottery officials, who will oversee the program, have "advocated skipping the competitive-bidding process to select a vendor to set up online platforms." Instead, they "want the city to negotiate a contract with Intralot, the company that operates the city’s lottery" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/9).

MGM Resorts Int'l reportedly has "hired former Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval as its first president of global gaming development." Sandoval "will head MGM's global expansion plans in Japan and focus on state public policy efforts around sports gaming" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 1/9). MGM has league-level betting/gaming deals with the NBA, NHL and MLB, and it also owns 42.5% of T-Mobile Arena. With sports betting "becoming a mainstream entertainment activity, Sandoval will be busy shaking hands with sports team, league and stadium/arena executives on his new job" (LVSPORTSBIZ.com, 1/8).

Sports Innovation Lab's 16-person advisory board "will meet four times -- starting this week -- with the goal of producing standards and best practices" for use of sports data by the end of '19. The advisory board includes execs from the NFL, NFLPA, NHL, UFC and the Cubs, as well as reps from "tech companies and gambling houses." This comes as the "analytics boom in sports" has produced some "thorny questions." Among them: "Should a player’s privacy factor in? Should the data be used in contract negotiations? And who should share the spoils if broadcasters and sports-gambling companies pay for the information?" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 1/8).

The Brewers On Deck fan fest event set for Jan. 27 has sold out in advance for the first time following the team's first NLCS appearance in 7 years (Brewers).

The 49ers are running a full-page ad in several area publications thanking fans for their participation in the CFP Championship in Santa Clara. Meanwhile, Amway, presenting sponsor of the AFCA Coaches' Trophy, also runs a full-page ad in USA Today congratulating Clemson on its CFP win (THE DAILY).

Professional Sports Catering signed a long-term deal to run food operations for the Single-A Carolina League Fayetteville Woodpeckers at their new, yet-unnamed ballpark (PSC).

"We could make this a win-win for the Raiders. What if they see an outpouring of fans from all over the Southwest -- people from Albuquerque, El Paso, Las Cruces, Sonora, even Southern California? They could begin building their Las Vegas fan base in Tucson" -- Tucson attorney Ali Farhand, who recently called Raiders President Marc Badain and "pitched a plan for the Raiders to play" at Arizona Stadium in '19 (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 1/9).

"The numbers have been big here in New Jersey. There’s the positive side of that, where there’s now increased interest in college sports. But then there’s the great danger that comes with that. The fact that we’re not on the board in New Jersey doesn’t mean that folks aren’t betting on Rutgers games somewhere" -- Rutgers AD Pat Hobbs, on the pros and cons of legal sports betting (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/8).

The WALL STREET JOURNAL goes with the header, "How Clemson Emulated Silicon Valley To Win A National Title." There is a "new normal in which college football teams are resembling the companies that reside only a short drive from the site of Monday’s game." Just as the technology business became known for the "relative youth of its executives -- valuing skill over experience -- Clemson typifies the sport’s growing embrace of quarterbacks straight out of high school."

Also: 

• Retiring Ozzie Newsome is the "most important GM of his generation."
• Why the dual coaching/front office role in the NBA has run its course.

Owners are just like us with bigger checkbooks. They watched Rams-Chiefs, Mahomes, Baker and they want in. You can make fun of Kliff’s record but none of this should be surprising. It’s just like every MLB front office handing out jobs to anyone from an Ivy school and chinos.

— Russillo (@ryenarussillo) January 8, 2019

Just left the @theTylerTrent funeral. So moving-So powerful-Such an incredible faith based family. Left so inspired to be a better; husband-father-son-brother-friend and man of Christ. Thank you to Tyler for inspiring so many of us & the Trent’s for their example of family & love

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) January 9, 2019

Just heard from @StephenCurry30, here's his reaction to the news: "Didn't have control of the conversation, but we are still committed to bringing an event to San Francisco. It just won't be this year." https://t.co/3VLqI9lvOz

— Ron Kroichick (@ronkroichick) January 9, 2019

Barstool has set their premium subscription material at $1 a week.

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) January 8, 2019

Tell me agents don’t matter: Kliff Kingsbury gets fired from Texas Tech and falls up to Arizona Cardinals job, ana Lamar Jackson’s Mom reps him and he free falls to bottom of first round. #notguessing

— Jeff Stacy (@jstacy98) January 9, 2019

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

SeventySix Capital holds a Sports Betting Summit at the South Point Hotel Casino & Spa in Las Vegas. The event runs from 11:30am-2:30pm PT, featuring an interview with NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern.

The Connecticut legislature returns today and is expected to consider additional regulations on sports betting.

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Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “1950s Travel.”

“In March 1958 Hilton opened a hotel in this western hemisphere capital but two-and-a-half years later was out of business there.”

“What is Havana, Cuba?”