The MLB Giants' AT&T Park will be renamed Oracle Park, with the team today set to announce a "20-year agreement" with the Bay Area-based technology company. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed, but Giants President & CEO Larry Baer said it is "very much in line with other recent naming-rights deals for top-tier facilities." That "could make it worth" $300-350M. AT&T’s naming rights "were to end" after the '19 season. But Baer said that during their "exclusive window to renegotiate" in late '18 they "told the Giants they were going in a different strategic direction" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/10).

The Jets are expected to hire Adam Gase as their next coach, and the move seems to "check all the right boxes except when it comes to exciting a beleaguered fan base." Gase should be a "good coaching mind in the development" of franchise QB Sam Darnold, but time will tell whether GM Mike Maccagnan "made the right choice." Had Maccagnan "waited much longer, it might have seemed he was hiring someone as a last resort" (N.Y. POST, 1/10). Former coach Todd Bowles and Maccagnan both reported directly to Jets Chair & CEO Christopher Johnson, and the "same power structure will be in place with Maccagnan and Gase" (ESPN.com, 1/9).

The USL today will announce that it has hired Court Jeske as its new Exec VP. Jeske, who was an SBJ/SBD "Forty Under 40" honoree in '18, was previously the CEO for USL expansion club Nashville SC, which set league records for both corporate partnership revenue and season ticket sales in an inaugural season. He also spent more than eight years with Soccer United Marketing, where he helped oversee international events for CONCACAF, the Mexican National Team and U.S. Soccer.

indy eleven

The USL Indy Eleven unveiled a proposal for a $550M "mixed-use real estate district that would include a 20,000-seat outdoor soccer stadium as the team continues its quest" to join MLS. The project "includes a financing plan that would require action from the City-County Council and the Legislature."  Development plans include "lodging, office and retail space, public spaces, an underground parking structure and apartments." Team Owner Ersal Ozdemir said that "there are 'several sites in downtown Indianapolis' and one elsewhere that are viewed as good fits for the team" (IBJ.com, 1/10).

Viacom President & CEO Bob Bakish has "squashed a rumor that Viacom is looking to purchase" the RSNs being sold off by Disney and Fox. But given the "opportunity to predict whether Viacom might merge with CBS, Bakish ... said he'd 'abstain' from commenting." Bakish indicated that he is "more focused on smaller acquisitions, using recently purchased VidCon and Awesomeness as examples." The latter was purchased for less than $100M (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 1/9).

The original report cited sources as saying that Viacom "has held discussions with multiple parties about providing programming" to the RSNs (NBCNEWS.com, 1/9).

Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray is expected to "declare for the NFL Draft" this weekend after being selected ninth overall by the A's in the MLB Draft last June. If Murray "chooses the NFL and does not play baseball, he would have to return the signing bonus" to the A's, but the team "will not receive compensation pick in this June's draft." A source said that the A's "might consider allowing Murray" to go to the NFL combine, which starts Feb. 26, but that "would require the approval" of MLB (SFCHRONICLE.com, 1/9).

Long Island residents yesterday weighed in on the state of New York's "plan to build an Islanders arena and adjacent retail space at Belmont Park," and "safety concerns and questions about emergency response time came to the fore." About 200 people attended the two public meetings. Many residents who "agreed with the project balked at the mass transportation plan," while opponents "worried that emergency services would be adversely affected by increased volume" (NEWSDAY, 1/10).

MassMutual Financial has signed an agreement with The Players' Tribune to sponsor a video series which features athletes involved in or around major sporting events. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The series, titled "Stories of Mentors and Mutuality," launched last month with a video featuring ESPN's Paul Pierce. Subsequent episodes featured Bruins C Patrice Bergeron and Blackhawks LW Brandon Saad. There are eight episodes in all and, consistent with the first three videos, the others will feature an athlete coinciding with a relevant major sporting event throughout '19. This is TPT's first partnership with MassMutual.

London-based live video production company Grabyo has partnered with Tennis Australia to enhance its international video content strategy ahead of the Australian Open (Grabyo).

The MLB Cardinals and Cordish Co. have "already signed up tenants" for 25% of the Ballpark Village project apartments in the 297-unit tower under construction next to Busch Stadium. This comes 18 months before "anyone will be moving in" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1/10).

The Magic reached a partnership with Violet Defense, an Orlando-based germ-killing company with patented UV technology (Magic).

Former Atlanta United coach Gerardo Martino will "return to Atlanta in just a few months" when he leads the Mexican national team "against a to-be-announced opponent in an exhibition game June 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 1/10).

"We’ll see where the season takes us at this point in time. We still have half a season to go. We’ll be prepared for either eventuality" -- Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, on whether the team is tanking to retain its top-eight protected '19 Draft pick. The Grizzlies are currently 19-22 (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 1/10).

"The level of MLS has increased a lot, and I think that the level of university (soccer) has been more or less the same. There is quite a big gap" -- Union Sporting Dir Ernst Tanner, on the club trading "all five of their draft picks this year to FC Cincinnati for a pile of cash in MLS' allocation money system" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 1/10).

ESPN.com writes under the header, "A Booming, Divided Boxing Business In 2019." With an "increasing number of networks and online platforms investing millions in boxing, the business of the sport has never been so robust and vibrant." It has also "never been as divided as it is at this very moment." 

Also: 

• Clemson's Trevor Lawrence reignites NFL Draft eligibility debate. 
• MLB free agency, NBA trade deadline both largely uneventful so far.

It was an exhaustive process that included countless discussions, but I’m told Jets CEO Christopher Johnson took a phone call on Tuesday night from an especially impressive reference who advocated for Adam Gase:

Peyton Manning.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 10, 2019

Rick Carlisle: "I just want to go on record saying that I miss @ESefko very badly. He is a wonderful man of the highest integrity. It's just one of the sad things that is happening in the media. That's a great man and it was a privilege to work with him for 11 years."

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) January 10, 2019

Covered Mardy Fish throughout his career. Think he'll make a fine U.S. Davis Cup captain. He's a people person who has been through plenty of personal struggle. Has the tools to teach and relate to the younger set, and it helps that he's still just 37

— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) January 9, 2019

Nationals, Phillies 'heating up' on Harper, Machado; are their markets finally beginning to take shape? https://t.co/qT21yrznlQ

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 9, 2019

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Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pa., officially launches its sportsbook at 1:00pm ET after a soft opening earlier this week. 

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

“So that viewers wouldn’t think it was about opera, the ‘R’ in this show’s logo was turned into a gun.”

Actor Mahershala Ali appeared on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” last night and talked about making extra money cutting hair while he was on a basketball scholarship at Saint Mary’s College in California. Ali: “I had to cut my coach's hair. So me and my coach, we didn't necessarily always get along … (and) I remember being on road trips and being in the doghouse but getting a phone call in my room asking me to come cut his hair. He had this really sharp, hard flat top years beyond it being cool and I would be in there just dead silent and uncomfortable and cutting his hair for 45 minutes. It was torture.” Host Jimmy Kimmel: “If you screwed it up, it seems like you could be penalized for that.” Ali said it was a “lot of pressure. (But) it couldn't get any worse because I wasn't playing anyway" (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 1/9).

“What is ‘The Sopranos?’”