NBC Broadcasting & Sports Chair Mark Lazarus predicted Super Bowl LII will attract a total audience of 165 million, which would mark a decline from the 172 million Fox Sports reported for last year’s game. Lazarus cited the figure during a panel discussion yesterday at the NFL’s technology event. The total audience counts viewers who watched all or part of the program. The smaller average audience figure is more widely cited, and last year Fox reported that number as 111.3 million. It stands to reason if Lazarus expects the total audience to decline, he also expects the average audience to go lower. 

NBC on Friday evening said that it is "officially sold out" of commercial time for Super Bowl LII. NBC Sports Exec VP/Ad Sales Dan Lovinger said that the net "booked record revenue" for the event. Earlier on Friday, Wix.com said that it had "made a last-minute buy in the game, despite previously saying that it would sit out this year's game." The last time NBC aired the Super Bowl in '15, it "announced its sales completion four days before" (ADAGE.com, 2/2).

The Iowa caucuses are "still two years away," but voters in the state "will see the first campaign ads" of the '20 presidential election during tonight's game. U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) is "joining a handful" of '18 candidates using the game to "introduce themselves to voters." Meanwhile, Laura Moser, who is looking to challenge U.S. Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) for his seat, is "spending $50,000 on an ad during the fourth quarter on the NBC affiliate in Houston." Alaska Sen. Mike Dunleavy is "dropping $15,000 on an ad in Anchorage" for his gubernatorial campaign (POLITICO.com, 2/4).

For the fifth straight year, MLB Network will roll out creative social media posts during the Super Bowl under the slogan "Baseball Is Coming." There are four posts that will be shared across MLB Network's social media platforms, and the "Baseball Is Coming" slogan will be applied to the posts as MLB Network's live Spring Training game schedule will begin later this month (MLB Network).

The "forecast high of 5 degrees" today in Minneapolis leaves "no doubt that Super Bowl LII will be the coldest ever." The "soon-to-tumble previous record stands at 16 degrees," set in '82 in Detroit. The National Weather Service has put the Twin Cities under a windchill advisory, meaning temperatures will "feel more like 20-somethings below zero" (STARTRIBUNE.com, 2/4). Meanwhile, yesterday "served up the kind of snow-shrouded wonderland Minnesota's Super Bowl hosts had been hoping for." Nicollet Mall was "awash in an energy all its own." An Eagles rally at noon "drew a crowd awash with green jerseys, coats and caps." However, the snow "proved problematic for Metro Transit, with more than half its buses and trains delayed midday" (STARTRIBUNE.com, 2/4).

The NFL held its "In the Huddle Women’s Summit" on Friday, highlighting "gains and the growing professional opportunities for women in sports." The NFL and the Vikings "invited 300 Minneapolis-area female college and graduate students to the event, which was also attended by more than 200 women associated with the NFL." NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Vikings co-Owner Mark Wilf "spoke at the summit." Goodell, the father of two daughters, said that he "takes the efforts to diversify the NFL personally." ESPN's Beth Mowins, the first woman to call an NFL game from the broadcast booth in three decades, "offered some career counsel." She said, “It’s OK for women to be ambitious. Have a dream and go chase it" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/3).

The NFL yesterday awarded $50,000 and tickets to the Super Bowl to three companies in its third annual First and Future technology competition among nine firms. The startups pitched their products in a format similar to ABC show "Shark Tank." Impressio, Inc. won for its liquid crystal material that would replace the foam material inside helmets. It beat out two firms that made materials to attach to the exterior of helmets to lessen impact.

In the category of technology to improve athletic performance, Curv.ai won for its app that uses a phone camera to capture motion, measure athletic ability and evaluates injury risk. It beat out a sensor that tracks athletic performance and a device that purports to track sleep and induce dreams. In the category to speed recovery, RecoverX won for its device that gets hot and cold and would replace ice and heat packs. It beat out a firm that uses an eye test to detect concussions, and one that has a new process for surgery on cartilage.

The Empire State Building will celebrate Super Bowl LII by turning into a virtual scoreboard tonight. At kickoff, the building's tower lights will be split into the colors schemes for the Patriots and Eagles, and with each scoring play, the building will sparkle in the scoring team's colors and remain lit for the team currently in the lead. Following the game, the building will sparkle in the winning team's colors for 30 minutes, then remain lit for the Super Bowl champion until 2:00am ET (Empire State Building).

The WALL STREET JOURNAL goes with, "How Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie Challenged The NFL To Get Over Its Season Of Chaos." When team owners "engaged in a nasty internal firefight in the build-up to a meeting" last December, Lurie "delivered a blunt reminder of what was at stake: the future of the game." He "beseeched the owners to get beyond minutiae," and he "asked his colleagues to consider: What kind of game were they going to turn over to their grandchildren?"

The BOSTON GLOBE goes with the header, "Kraft, Belichick, Brady: 18 Years Of Incomparable Success." Patriots coach Bill Belichick's decision to bring on the "skinny and underestimated" QB Tom Brady has "long since proven to be the best personnel decision any NFL organization could conceivably make." Along with Belichick and Owner Robert Kraft, Brady has been "one of the three cornerstones of the greatest and most prolonged dynasty in NFL history." 

Elsewhere: 

• NFL creates memories with Super Bowl ticket giveaway.
• Eagles help send friend of Carson Wentz to the big game.
• Could Amazon Prime eventually stream the Super Bowl?
• A look at U.S. Bank's Super Bowl marketing efforts.
• Can the NFL survive more seasons like this one?
• NFL works with Nickelodeon to target children.
• President Trump is over his feud with the NFL -- mostly.
• How does championship merch hit the shelves so fast?

Texans DE J.J. Watt last night "won the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award" after raising more than $37M for Hurricane Harvey relief. Watt was "expected to win the award" over Panthers TE Greg Olsen and Ravens TE Benjamin Watson. Peyton Manning "made the presentation to Watt." Watt joined Pro Football HOFer Warren Moon as the "only Houston players to win the Man of the Year award" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/4).

Meanwhile, former Chargers and Redskins GM Bobby Beathard, whose "shrewd and intuitive decisions as a personnel man" helped build seven Super Bowl teams and four winners, will be inducted into the Pro Football HOF in August in the contributor category. Beathard: "It's a real honor. I worked all the years in the league and I never had it as a goal. I never thought much about it" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/4).

The Raiders opened their "long-awaited" 7,500 square-foot stadium preview center yesterday in Las Vegas. The venue's foyer has "two large video walls displaying team highlights on each side." The center is "filled with Raiders memorabilia," featuring Super Bowl rings, equipment and "photos and videos, giving visitors a glimpse into key individuals in the team’s storied past." The franchise’s three Super Bowl trophies "will be added later." The view-from-your-seat and large-scale stadium model "weren’t ready for public viewing yet, but those features should be ready before March." Current Raiders season-ticket holders get "first choice" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 2/4).

The PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open yesterday "set a single-day attendance record, with 216,818 fans, making it the largest crowd to ever watch a golf event." The "previous record for single-day attendance" at TPC Scottsdale was 204,906 fans on Saturday last year. Yesterday's crowd also "brought the tournament total attendance to 654,906," with today still to play. Last year's total attendance was 655,434, which made it the "most attended" PGA Tour event in history (AZCENTRAL.com, 2/3). While the crowds today are "expected to thin somewhat," the Phoenix Open has had "at least 50,000 fans on the final day every year" since '11 (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 2/3).

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IOC President Thomas Bach warned boxing could be "knocked out of the next Olympic Games" if the IOC is "not satisfied problems with the sport's finances and governance are sorted out." Bach said the IOC was "extremely worried" about how the sport was run. He added that the IOC was "prepared to make bold decisions." Bach said that the IOC would be "freezing all contacts with the sport's governing AIBA 'excluding the ones on a working level necessary to implement the respective IOC decisions'" (REUTERS, 2/4).

Yesterday's Rangers-Predators game drew a "franchise-record crowd of 17,543" to Bridgestone Arena (TENNESSEAN.com, 2/3).

Mark Newell has been "named the 65th president of the USGA," replacing Diana Murphy. Newell was "elected to a one-year term" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 2/3).

A city of Austin memorandum Friday "requested a postponement of the soccer agenda item at the Feb. 15 council meeting and delayed a full vetting" on any potential MLS stadium site for an "additional three months." That "extends the process into late spring/early summer" (MYSTATESMAN.com, 2/2).

IOC TOP sponsor Omega runs a full-page ad in today's N.Y. Times Magazine ahead of next week's Pyeongchang Games: "Recording Olympic Dreams" (THE DAILY).

Oklahoma State's baseball and softball venues are now "officially licensed to sell alcohol as part of the university's pilot program to explore possibilities for all athletic programs" (NEWSOK.com, 2/2).

“24-23 and I don’t care!” -- NBC Broadcasting & Sports Chair Mark Lazarus, on a prediction for Super Bowl LII (THE DAILY).

"They should take us off every nationally televised game for the rest of the season. We haven't played good ball and we get our butts kicked every time we play on national television" -- Cavaliers F LeBron James, following last night's 120-88 loss to the Rockets, which dropped the Cavs' record on national television to 0-8 this season (CLEVELAND.com, 2/4).

"I know my decision would be to wear the 'C' because I think it's the right thing to do. I think we need to have a conversation with the Hall of Fame because of all the history and everything involved. I just think that's the right thing to do" -- Baseball HOF-elect Jim Thome, on not wanting his plaque in Cooperstown to show him wearing a cap with the Chief Wahoo logo (ESPN.com, 2/2).

"To put to rest any speculation or rumors as to whether I will be performing at the Super Bowl tomorrow; I will not" -- Singer Janet Jackson, on whether she would be joining Justin Timberlake for the Super Bowl LII halftime show (AP, 2/3).

"A lot of schools don't have the ability to say, 'Well, let's just go to the biomechanics lab" -- Georgia Tech men's basketball strength-and-conditioning coach Dan Taylor, on the advantages of playing at an engineering school (AJC.com, 2/2).

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

The Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER wrote under the header, "Is It OK That UNC Coaches Won't Say How Much They Make From Sneaker Deals?" UNC's current Nike contract, worth about $36.85M to UNC the past 10 years, "is a public record." However, basketball coach Roy Williams and football coach Larry Fedora "have separate, personal service contracts with Nike but are not required to disclose the value of their deals." The recent FBI investigation on college basketball "raises questions of whether coaches’ deals with sneaker companies have the potential to influence their recruiting decisions, creating a potential conflict of interest." 

ESPN wrote under the header, "Life Lessons From Brian Cashman: How To Succeed In The Bronx While Really Trying." Cashman has "been in charge for 20 years now," with yesterday representing the anniversary of the day the Yankees announced his hiring. During Cashman’s two decades as GM, the Knicks "have had nine GMs." In N.Y., the pressure to win "is unrelenting; the scrutiny never ends." So it "makes no sense that Cashman has lasted this long."

Elsewhere:

• Texas A&M's financial success leads to lofty expectations.
• Amazon buying CBS would help with its NFL ventures. 
• What one writer knew about an alleged assault involving MSU basketball in '10.

Sources: Players briefly discussed the possibility of boycotting the first days of spring training in a conference call last week, among many other ideas. But baseball industry sources indicate it is not currently an option under any serious consideration.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 4, 2018

Scot McCloughan has joined the Cleveland Browns as a personnel consultant for the 2018 NFL draft, as of Saturday, when he participated in full scouting sessions, according to sources. More coming.

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) February 4, 2018

I wonder how many teams will wish they'd signed one of these free agents when they're 2-3 games out of a postseason spot on September 1st.

— Mike Axisa (@mikeaxisa) February 3, 2018

Told the kids “Happy Super Bowl Day!”
Daughter: “You mean Happy Dog Bowl”

— Bill Bender (@BillBender92) February 4, 2018

Sneak peek of the room where our Selection Committee is currently deciding on the 2 Senior Finalists and 1 Contributor Finalist #PFHOF18 pic.twitter.com/BRG0PoLbzI

— Pro Football HOF (@ProFootballHOF) February 3, 2018

Last night’s "SNL” mocked fans of both the Patriots and Eagles in a skit set during the Revolutionary War. Actor Alex Moffat said of the New Englanders' victory at Bunker Hill, “It was insane, bro. The British got like 50 ships, we get pushed back way behind our line, like 40 yards, but our guy, Captain Thomas Brady. He's got like the best cannon and boom, we come back like we always do.” A group representing Philadelphia joined the room. Actress Tina Fey said, “Can I tell you something about your captain Thomas Brady? He's old, okay? He is like 40, that's four years past life expectancy.” The groups from Philadelphia and New England argued about who was more successful. Actor Beck Bennett said, “Order, order! Patriots of New England, you have truly achieved remarkable success, but I believe I speak for this entire chamber when I say shut up."

Meanwhile, actors Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones spoofed Olympics commentators during host Natalie Portman’s opening "SNL" monologue. After Portman’s opening, Thompson and McKinnon were shown sitting behind a desk. McKinnon: “She started with off with a charming intro then transitioned, into a light political joke.” Thompson: “That’s a tough combination to pull off.” Portman then delivered a failed joke given to her by her son. McKinnon: “Yeah, that was supposed to be a double joke-joke into a triple applause break. I wonder what happened" (“SNL,” NBC, 2/3).