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Sunday, March 1, 2:30pm ET

Weekend Rap .... Latest News .... She's Got It

Rousey's Title Defense Draws UFC's Largest-Ever Staples Center Crowd

Last night's UFC 184, headlined by a women's bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano, "drew the largest audience the promotion has ever done at the Staples Center," with a crowd of 17,654 and a gate of $2.675M. Rousey won the main event, "finishing Zingano with an armbar in a record-setting 14 seconds" (MMAWEEKLY.com, 3/1).

Meanwhile, California State Athletic Commission Exec Officer Andy Foster prior to last night's event said that he "was testing all 22 fighters taking part" for PEDs. The screening included "both blood and urine tests of all fighters." Foster "declined to say how much testing all 22 fighters on the card cost his commission, though he said it was significant." The UFC "has offered to help financially and has done so on several occasions, but did not do so" for last night's event (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/28).

Heavy Storms Push PGA Tour Honda Classic Conclusion To Monday

The PGA Tour Honda Classic "will require a Monday finish" due to days of inclement weather at PGA National Golf Club. Barely "had the second round been completed Saturday morning" when a "massive storm front moved in carrying sheets of rain." A "furious wind knocked the LED scoreboard into a lake to the side of the 18th green" and some concession areas and other structures "were blown over." The event is "the first unscheduled Monday finish on the PGA Tour" since the '13 BMW Championship (GOLFWEEK.com, 2/28).

Saturday tickets will "be honored on Sunday due to the early rain-out." But they will "be honored on a general admission basis," meaning fans with a Saturday hospitality ticket "won’t be able to get into that area with just a Saturday pass" (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 2/28). Admission "will be free for Monday morning's conclusion" of the tournament. Fans who have tickets for any of the hospitality suites from any of the tournament's previous days "will be allowed back into those areas on Monday" (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 2/28).

Mediated MLS Negotiations Begin In DC As Garber Remains "Hopeful"

Federally mediated CBA negotiations between MLS and the MLSPU begin today in DC ahead of the season's scheduled start this week, and league Commissioner Don Garber said that team owners will be "involved in the negotiations for the first time in league history." Garber said he remains "hopeful" a deal can be reached in time for the season to begin on schedule (SI.com, 2/27). Galaxy D and MLSPU Exec Board member Todd Dunivant: "We have a lot of work to do" (ESPNFC.com, 2/28).

A work stoppage "would be disastrous for a league that has enjoyed more growth than any U.S. professional sports over the last five years" (L.A. TIMES, 3/1).

Brewers, White Sox Both Enjoy Big Weekends In Ticket Sales

The Brewers "had one of the best days of single-game ticket sales in team history," selling 101,000 as of 3:00pm CT during yesterday's Arctic Tailgate event. That total is "tied for the second-highest number of single-game tickets sold in a single day in team history." The franchise record is 104,000, "achieved on the first day of sales" in '09 (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/1).

Meanwhile, the White Sox "are poised to end an eight-season attendance slide as individual-game ticket sales were brisk Friday," when the club announced that it "has sold" 50% more tickets than it did after the opening day of sales last season. Attendance at U.S. Cellular Field "has declined every year since the team drew a record 2.96 million fans" in '06 (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 2/27).

IOC, Pyeongchang Games Organizers Form Task Force To Hasten Prep

The IOC and South Korean organizers "agreed to set up a special joint task force Friday to cut through the slow pace of preparations hampering" the '18 Pyeongchang Games. Both sides said that "the 'integration working group' would accelerate the decision-making process as Korea faces tight deadlines to finalize venues, prepare for sports test events and sign up domestic sponsors." The group "will consist of about 10 people and meet at least once a month." POCOG President & CEO Yang Ho Cho said, "This will speed up all the decisions and make our work more efficient" (AP, 2/27).

SMI's Smith: Vegas May Add Safety Measures Before Next Weekend

Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Marcus Smith yesterday said that he "expects more safety enhancements will be made to SMI's tracks, including the possibility of changes to Las Vegas Motor Speedway," site of next weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup and Xfinity series races. Smith: "I wouldn't be surprised that come Monday we have some additions." Before Kyle Busch’s wreck at Daytona last weekend, SMI "had already planned additions to energy-absorbing SAFER barriers at three of its tracks -- Charlotte, New Hampshire and Kentucky" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 3/1).

Rockets Ready To Unveil "Legends Lockers" At Toyota Center

The Rockets before today's 2:30pm CT game versus the Cavaliers "will unveil 'Legends Lockers' on the upper concourse of the Toyota Center." Rockets Owner Les Alexander along with former players Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, Calvin Murphy and Ralph Sampson "will be on hand as the display opens to a group of season ticket holders." The lockers "will honor 11 of the franchise’s faces" (CHRON.com, 2/27).

Deal Reached To Continue Horse Racing At Suffolk Downs This Summer

Horse owners "reached a two-year deal Friday with the owners of Suffolk Downs that would return thoroughbred racing to the imperiled racetrack this summer." The agreement to lease the track to horse owners and trainers "culminates almost six months of negotiations, and would give Suffolk Downs’ owners time to determine the fate of the track." But the pact "will need the blessing of legislators and the state’s gambling commission" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/28).

ESPN To Debut Short-Film Series Born Out Of "It's Not Crazy" Campaign

Oscar-winning director Errol Morris "once again is applying his unique point of view to the world of sports for ESPN in a new series of short films, 'It's Not Crazy, It's Sports.'" The films will debut tonight at 9:00pm ET and build off Wieden & Kennedy, N.Y.'s, "long-running campaign of the same name" for the net. The series is produced by ESPN Films, Wieden & Kennedy Entertainment and Morris' production company, Moxie Pictures. Each short film also "will air on different days on Grantland.com" as part of the site's "Errol Morris Week" (CREATIVITY-ONLINE.com, 2/25).

Weekend Briefs....

The Earthquakes drew 10,074 fans for yesterday's preseason game against the Galaxy, the soft opening of the Quakes' Avaya Stadium (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/1).

The Tampa Bay Times and USF "have signed a three-year agreement in which the newspaper will be the sole print media company to sponsor both athletic and academic events" at the school (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 2/28).

Mortenson Construction Co. "has been picked to be the construction manager for the University of Minnesota's new 340,000-square-foot Athletics Village" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/27).

China-based consumer electronics company Hisense yesterday morning confirmed that it will sponsor Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin in two '15 Xfinity Series races -- at Bristol and Richmond -- plus entitle the Xfinity race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23 (Hisense).

Team Extreme's No. 44 Sprint Cup car was "returned to its NASCAR shop in North Carolina on Saturday after it was recovered along a remote road in suburban Atlanta, apparently abandoned by the thieves who stole it from a hotel parking lot" on Friday (AP, 2/28).

Quick Hits....

"Atlanta is known as a tough ticket-selling market by everybody in the business" – Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Marcus Smith, on the challenges of filling the seats for this weekend's NASCAR races at Atlanta Motor Speedway (USATODAY.com, 2/28).

"If I could just remember to call the series Xfinity instead of Nationwide, I’d give myself a better grade" – NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski, on how he judges his broadcasting debut after mistakenly calling the series by its former name repeatedly during yesterday’s Xfinity Series race ("Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500," Fox, 3/1).

"TV wants the game to end in three hours. Everything that’s going on with increased payrolls is because of TV. We have to be OK with that" – Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez, on MLB's new pace-of-play rules (LATIMES.com, 2/27).

"I didn’t go last season. I may go this season. ... I think it's time" – Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who has been a vocal critic of the '09 public funding of Marlins Park, on his plans to finally attend a game at the three-year-old ballpark (MIAMI HERALD, 3/1).

"It’s something everyone has to listen to -- domestic violence shouldn't be tolerated" – Red Sox 1B Mike Napoli, on MLB's league-wide initiative to educate players about domestic violence (BOSTON HERALD, 3/1).

"We’re the best-kept secret in team sports. ... We sell to kindergartens and to Notre Dame. But we’re a behind-the-scenes business" – BSN Sports CEO Adam Blumenfeld, on why the company maintains a low profile despite being the largest distributor of team sports apparel, footwear and equipment in the U.S. (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/28).

Weekend Hot Reads....

In the wake comments by Thunder F Kevin Durant and Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch, the BOSTON GLOBE's Bob Ryan writes under the header, "Why Do Media Need To Talk To Athletes?" Ryan: "Does it have to be Us vs. Them? Are sports media folk and athletes inherent enemies?"

MASNSPORTS.com's Roch Kubatko noted yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the death of late Orioles Dir of PR Monica Barlow, and team members reacted "with shock when reminded" about how long it has been since she passed. Manager Buck Showalter: "She had a lot more impact on our lives than we did on hers."

Elsewhere:

Sunday Comic....

A sneak preview of SportsBusiness Journal's weekly editorial cartoon:

Twitter Me This....

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

Back Pages....

The Weekend Rap offers today's back page sports covers from some of the North America's major metropolitan tabloids:

N.Y. Post N.Y. Daily News Newsday Philadelphia Daily News Boston Herald Chicago Sun-TimesToronto Sun

Hit The Ground Running: The Week Ahead....

THE DAILY’s Week Ahead: March 2-8

MONDAY
• NHL trade deadline
• Deadline for NFL clubs to designate Franchise or Transition players
• WTA Tour Abierto Monterrey Afirme begins - Monterrey, Mexico
• WTA Tour BMW Malaysian Open begins - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

TUESDAY
• MLB Spring Training games begin
• MITX Ecommerce Summit - Boston

WEDNESDAY
• Leaders’ The Sports Business Summit begins - N.Y.
• Radio Ink’s Sports Radio Conference begins - Dallas

THURSDAY
• Statue of Basketball HOFer Dominique Wilkins to be unveiled at Philips Arena - Atlanta
• WGC: Cadillac Championship begins - Miami
• PGA Tour Puerto Rico Open begins - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
• LPGA Tour HSBC Women’s Champions begins - Singapore
• Web.com Tour Cartagena de Indias at Karibana Championship presented by Prebuild begins - Cartagena, Colombia

FRIDAY
• MLS regular season scheduled to begin
• Davis Cup by BNP Paribas: World Group first-round play begins (USA-Great Britain)
• ITU World Triathlon Series begins  - Abu Dhabi, UAE

SATURDAY
• Statute of Hockey HOFer Luc Robitaille to be unveiled at Staples Center
• Debut of Premier Boxing Champions series
• NASCAR Xfinity Series Boyd Gaming 300 - Las Vegas

SUNDAY
• NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt 400 - Las Vegas

Note: Events are subject to change. Information about upcoming events can be sent via email to calendar@sportsbusinessjournal.com.