NFL owners' quarterly meetings kick off today in Key Biscayne, Fla., where the "vibe was decidedly chill" as owners and league execs "trickled in" last night. The "only whiff of real controversy facing the NFL these days" is Patriots Owner Robert Kraft's legal troubles. Fans should not "expect a decision from commissioner Roger Goodell any time soon on whether Kraft will face punishment from the league." Business "should wrap up quickly" today, as the league "only has a handful of relatively mundane items on the agenda." At least one report indicates the NFL will award its '21 Draft to Cleveland (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/22).

A Florida judge has granted a state attorney's request to "stop the clock on a possible trial" for Robert Kraft while prosecutors "appeal a decision that threw out 'crucial evidence'" against the Patriots owner. Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser yesterday "agreed to allow the case to run through the appeals process before it goes to trial." Hanser’s stay order "puts the case on hold indefinitely and could mean it’s not resolved until after" the NFL season begins on Sept. 5 (PALM BEACH POST, 5/22).

Talks between the NFL and NFLPA during two negotiating sessions "centered around extending" the current CBA have been "described as 'cordial' and 'amicable,'" according to sources. While sources on both sides "mention how early things are, and how the talks have been mostly conceptual, there is already some optimism at the possibility of extending the deal without a lockout." Though it is possible a deal "could be reached" before the '19 season, negotiations would "have to ramp up considerably" (NFL.com, 5/22).

The Athletic this morning will announce that it has launched a new motorsports vertical called The Athletic Motorsports, which has hired reporters Jeff Gluck, Jordan Bianchi and David Smith to start. The website has hired scores of reporters across stick-and-ball sports but had done little with racing coverage up to this point. It will focus on NASCAR and some open-wheel coverage, including a video profile on IndyCar team Owner George Steinbrenner IV.

Gluck, who will be a full-time hire, had been writing for his own independent Patreon-funded site since leaving USA Today in early '17. Bianchi, also a full-time hire, formerly reported on NASCAR for SB Nation. Smith, who runs a racing analytics website, will contribute to the site on a part-time basis. The launch comes ahead of what is seen as racing’s biggest weekend annually with the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR Coca-Cola 600.

The Henderson, Nev., City Council unanimously approved bringing the Golden Knights' latest "community ice arena to downtown," and the Las Vegas suburb also will contribute more than $10.7M for the project. The facility will "occupy the site of the aging Henderson Convention Center," and it is expected to cost more than $25M. The city will "demolish the convention center." The space "will not be a second practice facility" for the NHL team, which will "continue practicing at City National Arena in Summerlin" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/22).

Allianz Field today hosts its "first international soccer friendly," with Minnesota United hosting Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin. Each team "wants to expand its 'brand' and network on foreign shores." The German club is Berlin's "most famous soccer team," and it has arrived in Minnesota "seeking to make itself better known in America." The U.S. trip, which corresponds with the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, will conclude in Southern California (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/22).

Actor Eric Stonestreet appeared on NBC’s “Late Night” last night. Host Seth Meyers noted the "Modern Family" star “did a commercial" for the Northwestern Wildcats as "the purple guy.” Meyers said it was "so successful" that Stonestreet then "did the purple guy for Kansas State, also the Wildcats.” Stonestreet: “They copied it, and then I did it for all of the NCAA. Apparently, me being painted is so popular I did a national campaign that was for all of college football. It started off as Northwestern, and then K State was like, 'Hey, we want in on this.'" Meyers: “It is a fun look” (“Late Night,” NBC, 5/22).

The Canadiens next season will make changes to their schedule for weeknight games at Bell Centre. All games "except matinees scheduled as part of special events" will be scheduled for 7:00pm ET instead of 7:30pm (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 5/22).

The Michigan Sports HOF unveiled this year's 10-member class that includes Olympia Entertainment President & CEO Tom Wilson, Turner basketball analyst Grant Hill, former ESPN NFL analyst Charles Woodson, former AP sports editor Harry Atkins and longtime Detroit News sports reporter Mike O'Hara (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 5/21).

Sports investment bank Greenwich Advisory & Co. has closed on the sale of Predators ownership units, after it was retained as the sell-side advisor for the NHL team. Four Points Capital Partners acted as broker/dealer of record for the transactions (Greenwich Advisory).

"The timing was really bad. But there’s never gonna be good timing. I just don’t know how you end coaching college basketball, if you’re successful, with the timing right. It’s impossible" -- New Cavaliers coach John Beilein, who operates without an agent, on leaving Michigan for the NBA (DETROIT NEWS, 5/22).

"Lil' Penny's closer to coming back than you think" -- Memphis hoops coach Penny Hardaway, on Nike's "colorful, brash, Chris Rock-voiced animated mini-Penny" that became popular in the '90's (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 5/22).

"Loyalty and patience is such a rarity in professional sports and that’s here in spades. Those things matter to me. … You kind of close your eyes and you envision yourself somewhere else and you think about those relationships and collectively I had a hard time envisioning myself elsewhere" -- Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, on turning down an offer to run the Wizards' front office (DENVER POST, 5/22).

"IndyCar has never rested. They admit they’re behind where they wanted to be. But I’ve seen what they’re working on ... and it’s coming way sooner than I thought" -- IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe, on the progress the racing circuit has made since it started to study cockpit protection (TORONTO STAR, 5/22).

The N.Y. POST writes under the header, "The Unstoppable Dick Vitale, And The Bullies Who Broke And Shaped Him." Vitale as a 12-year old pitcher in Little League was "blind in his left eye," sometimes leading to a "handful of parents in Garfield, N.J., in the 1950s screaming out" at him. Decades later, Vitale is "relentless with relationships, from the presidents of ESPN to fighting for children with cancer."

Expansion talk: 

• MLB economics "should temper hopes for Expos return."
• When it comes to pro sports, Ft. Worth "wants no part of the major leagues."
• Las Vegas' next major league team? How about rugby.

Also:

• Why the Pac-12 is now the "Conference of Chump Change."
• Meet Gene Honda, the PA announcer for the White Sox, Blackhawks and others.
• NCAA "starting a long-overdue discussion" over image and likeness.
• How Nashville pressed the city of Hoover to keep the SEC Baseball Tournament.

All right we've got the teams settled! Let's start the #StanleyCup final... next week.

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) May 22, 2019

The Bucks and Raptors have a moral obligation to go 7. We demand it.

— Bob Ryan (@GlobeBobRyan) May 22, 2019

Love the way @RealMikeWilbon handled this Magic Johnson question. Admitted his friendship and bias and didn't go after anyone. #KeptIt100

— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) May 21, 2019

Amazing what can happen when you run hard out of the box, eh? #Mets

— Mike Vaccaro (@MikeVacc) May 22, 2019

Within 10 minutes of my turning on the SEC tournament there's a replay review because nobody can agree on what the count is.

— Michael Baumann (@MichaelBaumann) May 21, 2019

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

Uh oh... https://t.co/JlxdRogK3A

— John Krasinski (@johnkrasinski) May 22, 2019

SBJ tonight hosts the 12th annual Sports Business Awards at the N.Y. Marriott Marquis at Times Square, celebrating the leaders, visionaries and day-to-day practitioners who personify excellence in our industry. Check out the event page, and read more about the '19 nominees in this week's Sports Business Journal.

CBS Sports President David Berson will be honored at the UJA-Federation of New York’s Sports for Youth luncheon at 11:30am ET at the Roosevelt Hotel.

The Tigers will hold a noon ET ceremony for Special Assistant and former player Willie Horton in which the intersection of Canfield Street and the John C. Lodge Service Drive will be renamed in his honor.

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 “Poetry & the Movies.”

“Robert Lowell’s ‘For the Union Dead’ honored the 54th Massachusetts, the infantry unit in this 1989 film that won three Oscars.”

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel said of the Warriors advancing to their fifth consecutive NBA Finals, "I guess their strategy of signing all the best players to be on one team is working pretty well. And while that run is impressive, it's far from the record." Kimmel noted the Celtics went to the Finals 10 straight times from '57-66: "But that was back when there were no other teams in the NBA, it was just them. The Warriors are going for a three-peat this year, which would be historic. If they win again, the Warriors would become the first championship team in professional sports to not visit the White House for three consecutive years” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 5/21).

NBC’s Seth Meyers said Alex Rodriguez has "hired a team of lawyers to prevent the spread of a photo taken of his Manhattan apartment building that shows him sitting on the toilet through one of the windows." Meyers: "So, if you want to see baseball players taking a dump, you'll just have to watch the Mets" (“Late Night,” NBC, 5/22).

“What is ‘Glory’?”

Reigning champion James Holzhauer dominated another game last night, winning $86,905 for a 24-day total of $1,867,142.