The NFL today is unveiling its newest corporate sponsorship -- a multiyear pact with Lowe’s, making it the league’s official home improvement retail sponsor. Plans are for Lowe’s to support NFL marketing platforms year-round, including the NFL Combine, Draft, Kickoff and Salute to Service. Beginning next season, Lowe’s will be presenting sponsor of the Super Bowl Experience fan fest. Lowe’s will have some NFL pass-through rights for its suppliers. The deal also should provide a distribution channel for NFL licensees. Lowe’s already sells NFL-logoed key blanks, coolers and lanyards. Publicis Media Sports & Entertainment, along with Publicis-owned media agency Starcom, helped negotiate the deal for Lowe’s, and is also consulting on strategy and activation.

The NFL has been pursuing the home improvement category for the past several years. Rival home center The Home Depot was an NFL corporate sponsor 12 years ago. One of the intriguing facets of this deal will be Lowe’s launching the sponsorship while Super Bowl LIII is in The Home Depot’s home city of Atlanta. Lowe’s will be able to have limited activation and signage at the Super Bowl within Mercedes-Benz Stadium despite The Home Depot being a principal sponsor of the stadium.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was in Atlanta yesterday for the Hawks' home loss to the Magic, one of 11 league games played on MLK Day. Silver "sat in a suite" with former Atlanta Mayor and U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Andrew Young (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 1/22). Prior to the game, Hawks Principal Owner & Chair Tony Ressler and CEO Steve Koonin "took Silver on a tour of the revitalized State Farm Arena." This marked the "first time that Silver has been to a game this season in Atlanta, which means it’s the first time he has seen the remodeled arena in person." Silver said that he "came away 'thoroughly impressed' and remarked how the arena is improved in every possible way" (THEATHLETIC.com, 1/21).

The Astros today will unveil plans for the Astros HOF presented by Houston Methodist, with "construction to begin in March." At Minute Maid Park, HOF Alley "will replace the current Home Run Alley that runs along the concourse beyond left field and will provide a physical space to honor the greatest players in club history with their own plaques." The inaugural class "will be large and will include Astros players who have had their numbers retired," as well as those "honored on the Walk of Fame." Plaques "will be unveiled" during HOF Weekend Aug. 2-4 (MLB.com, 1/21).

The results of the '19 Baseball Writers' Association of America HOF election will be announced exclusively on MLB Network and MLB.com today at 6:00pm ET as part of a five-hour announcement show starting at 3:00pm. MLB Network’s coverage will feature Baseball HOF President Jeff Idelson revealing ballot results, as well as interviews with electees. Greg Amsinger and Brian Kenny will anchor, with analysis from Bob Costas, Harold Reynolds, John Smoltz, Chris Russo, Lauren Shehadi, Ken Rosenthal, Peter Gammons and others (Mult.).

ESPN.com goes with, "Everything You Need To Know On Hall Of Fame Announcement Day." YAHOO SPORTS: "Five Things You Need To Know Before This Year's MLB Hall of Fame Announcement."

The NBA G League Delaware Blue Coats will christen their new 2,500-seat 76ers Fieldhouse arena with a game tomorrow against the Memphis Hustle. Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the 76ers and their G League affiliate, partnered with real estate developer The Buccini/Pollin Group to build the Wilmington arena. Architecture firm Rossetti designed the five-story, 161,000-square-foot Fieldhouse project, which includes a sports training center.

A rendering of 76ers Fieldhouse Court in Wilmington76ers

The NFL is "investigating a report of a laser beam of a laser beam flashed in Tom Brady's face during crunch time" of Sunday's Patriots-Chiefs AFC title game (BOSTON HERALD, 1/22).

NBC

Meanwhile, NBC’s Jimmy Fallon said a lot of people were "talking about the size of Tom Brady's jacket on the sideline” at Arrowhead Stadium. Fallon: “At first, New Yorkers made fun of him, then they stepped outside and said, ‘I want that coat.’ But look at Brady. He looks like a depressed Buzz Lightyear." CBS' Tony Romo also was lauded for "predicting what was going to happen before each play." Fallon: "Every guy watching at home was like, ‘Oh sure, but when I do it, I'm ruining the Super Bowl party’” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 1/21). 

Super Bowl LIII will come as legal sports betting continues to expand in the U.S., and William Hill U.S. CEO Joe Asher said that prop betting for the event is "quite popular and keeps people engaged throughout the game, even if it's a blowout." Asher added, "We've never seen evidence of a player prop being manipulated" (AP, 1/21).

Meanwhile, Falcons Owner Arthur Blank, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and members of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce today will ring the Opening Bell at the NYSE at 9:30am ET ahead of the city hosting the Super Bowl (NYSE).

Extended forecasts for Atlanta are calling for showers on Super Bowl weekend. Both the Saturday, Feb. 2, and Sunday, Feb. 3, forecasts call for a 50% chance of rain, with highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s (WEATHER.com, 1/22).

Former Kings exec Jeffrey David today in Sacramento is "expected to enter a guilty plea that he diverted" $13.4M from team sponsors and "used the money to buy beachfront property." He will face sentencing "later in the case, which could net a 20-year sentence for the wire fraud charge" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 1/22).

FC Cincinnati is "nearing 20,000 season ticket memberships" for the '19 season, its first in MLS. Club officials previously stated that they "hoped to attract about 28,000 fans per game" in '19 (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 1/22).

Alibaba co-Founder Joe Tsai, who owns 49% of the Nets, has officially "agreed to buy" the WNBA Liberty, pending approval by the NBA BOG. Sources said that the WNBA BOG "approved the sale a few days ago" (AP, 1/21).

"This is a step to take care of my family in the long run. Starting this agency is a way I can definitely do that in my years on the football field and the years when I'm not on the football field" -- NFL Draft prospect Rashan Gary, on starting his eponymous sports agency (AP, 1/22).

“It’s honestly terrible. It’s not ideal time to play tennis” -- Australian Open competitor Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, on starting a match Sunday night at nearly 11:30pm local time (N.Y. TIMES, 1/22).

“Guys, if you haven’t subscribed, please subscribe" -- Tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas, on reaching the Australian Open semifinals and in the process doubling his YouTube channel's subscriber count to more than 30,000 (AP, 1/22).

"It probably does feel like a home game for the Jaguars. For us, it's an away game. It's just in a different location for us. We're fortunate to be able to do this without sacrificing a home game" -- Texans President Jamey Rootes, on the team playing a '19 "road" game in London against the Jaguars while keeping their full eight-game home slate (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 1/22).

SI.com goes with the header, "Don't Expect Legal Remedies In Aftermath Of Rams' Win Over Saints." Fallout from the officiating in the game "has been intense," and though Saints fans are unhappy, "some harms are not for the law to correct." NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell changing the outcome "could bound him and his successors going forward." This is how a "slippery slope begins to cause slippage."

Also: 

• Why it's hard to "'stick to sports' when sports doesn't stick to sports."
• Michigan native runs the Senior Bowl and one day wants to be an NFL GM.

#Reds are an interesting test case. They have pivoted away from tanking (good for them) but they have spent prospect collateral and $$$ this offseason and still may be no better than fourth best in NL Central.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) January 21, 2019

Alex Smith here at the Wizards-Pistons, in a brace and crutches that do not exactly scream "I’ll be ready in time for OTAs."

— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) January 21, 2019

Still don’t understand the silly practice of brands releasing their #SuperBowl ads early. Only acceptable exceptions: teasers, part of a broader story with payoff during the game. Don’t @ me...you’re not going to convince me.

— J.W. Cannon (@cannonjw) January 21, 2019

Love the field house concept that @sixers @ScottONeil @chrisheck76 have created for their G League team that will also be a focal point for recreation and youth sports in the community. Kudos for your vision and creatively giving back

— Bill Sutton (@Sutton_ImpactU) January 22, 2019

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

Manchester City v Manchester United, 1947. - Colorized pic.twitter.com/m0fV6aJtt6

— Lost In History (@HistoryToLearn) January 22, 2019

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

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

“Premiering in 2005, its story is divided into spring, summer, fall and winter, each narrated by one of the four male leads.”

Last night’s edition of “Jeopardy!” featured the category “Teddy Roosevelt, Meet Jackie Robinson.”

$200: “In January 1919 Teddy Roosevelt died and Jack Roosevelt Robinson was named for him in the town of Cairo, on this state’s border with Florida.”
$400: “Teddy was born in 1858 on New York’s East 20th Street, just across the river from this borough where Jackie would become famous.”
$600: “Jackie was a delegate to the 1964 convention of this party that had sent Teddy Roosevelt to the White House 60 years before.”
$800: “Jackie’s mom respected Teddy Roosevelt for stands like his outspoken opposition to this type of homicide by mob.”
$1000: “Following Teddy Roosevelt’s advice to carry one of these, Jackie used a heavy Louisville Slugger to win the 1949 National League batting title.”

CBS’ Stephen Colbert: “I just want to start off tonight by just saying in the words of Martin Luther King, ‘Did y'all see the game last night?’ There's no way he didn't say that at some point. … I know I seem like a jock -- that got a quicker laugh than I had hoped -- but I didn't see either of the games last night, and I kind of saw the games last night based on the number of times I've seen this: Saints receiver open in the red zone and, ‘Blammo!’ Rams defender just lays him out! Blatant pass interference." Colbert: "Where was the ref, I’ve been told. I’ve been assured that's the thing you yell at this situation … and had the ref thrown the flag right there, game over, Saints go to the Super Bowl, New Orleans is one giant party” (“The Late Show,” CBS, 1/21).

“What is ‘Jersey Boys?’”

The musical is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and eventual break-up of the ‘60s pop group The Four Seasons.

Correct responses to the “Teddy Roosevelt, Meet Jackie Robinson” category:

$200: “What is Georgia?”
$400: “What is Brooklyn?”
$600: “What is the Republican Party?”
$800: “What is lynching?”
$1000: “What is a big stick?”