U.S. Soccer Federation VP Carlos Cordeiro yesterday "was elected" as the governing body's next president, "prevailing after three rounds of voting at the organization’s annual meeting." The decision was a "surprisingly straightforward end to a three-month campaign." No candidate received the required 50% plus one vote "necessary to win on the first two ballots." Cordeiro received 36% of the vote in the first round, "followed closely" by SUM President Kathy Carter at 35%. In the second round, Cordeiro’s total "went up" to 42% and Carter’s fell to 33%. At that point, MLS "switched its votes to Cordeiro, setting the stage for his victory in the third round," when he received 69% (N.Y. TIMES, 2/11).

NBC drew 27.8 million viewers for the tape-delayed Opening Ceremony from Pyeongchang on Friday night from 8:00-11:02pm ET. NBC peaked with 31.5 million viewers from 9:00-9:15pm, when Team USA entered during the Parade of Nations. Friday night’s viewership marked the largest audience on a Friday night in four years across any network, when NBC averaged 31.7 million viewers for the tape-delayed Opening Ceremony from the Sochi Games. 

NBC posted a Total Audience Delivery average of 28.3 million viewers. That number is up 6% from the Opening Ceremony of the Rio Games, which earned 26.7 million viewers in the TAD metric. NBC’s stream of Friday's Opening Ceremony (live at 6:00am ET and simultaneous to the primetime broadcast) averaged 449,000 viewers on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. The Opening Ceremony from Sochi was not streamed.

NBC Sports analyst Joshua Cooper Ramo "has been relieved" from the net's Pyeongchang Games coverage after "enraging many Koreans with ignorant remarks about their country" during the Opening Ceremony. An NBC Sports spokesperson said that Ramo has been "removed from the role." The spokesperson said, "It was possible for him to do more with us here; now it is no longer possible." Ramo during the Opening Ceremony said, "Every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural and technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation." NBC "apologized for the comment" (KOREATIMES.co.kr, 2/11).

The Cubs signed P Yu Darvish yesterday to a six-year, $126M deal, and while that is "longer than the Cubs wanted to go with any pitcher, the annual value of the deal" at $21M is a "minor bargain." They had the money to sign Darvish, with approximately $30M to "stay under the luxury tax this season." They "won't lose a draft pick for signing him either" (THEATHLETIC.com, 2/10).

The deal comes because Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts gives President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein "wide latitude to pursue talent and spend right up to" this year's $197M tax threshold (THEATHLETIC.com, 2/10). If people think this signing "takes the Cubs out of the Bryce Harper Sweepstakes next winter," they "haven't paid attention to the way Ricketts has reached into the family's deep pockets" when Epstein wants a player (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/11).

The Saints are "raising ticket prices" for the first time since '16, and fans will see a 10% "or less increase" in 75% of seats or sections in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Saints Senior VP/Marketing & Business Development Ben Hales also "hopes to take care of a waiting list that is approaching 100,000 fans by rolling back some of the broker accounts selling tickets to opposing team fans, and then offering those tickets to people on the waiting list" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 2/10). The Saints used analytics to "determine how much to raise the price of each seat" (New Orleans ADVOCATE, 2/10).

NFL Panthers interim GM Marty Hurney was "scheduled to meet" with NFL Special Counsel Lisa Friel in Charlotte on Friday following harassment allegations by his ex-wife last week. Hurney has been on paid administrative leave since Monday after Jeanne Hurney "accused him of harassment." The NFL "appears to have expedited its investigation" given Friel's trip to Charlotte less than a week after the allegations surfaced. A source said that Friel also "met with Panthers officials." A source added that outgoing Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson "wants to let the process with Hurney play out before making any decisions about his future" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/10).

USL club Phoenix Rising on Saturday "padded its bid" for MLS expansion by adding Chinese hotel magnate Alex Zheng and his Advantage Sports Union company to its investor group. Phoenix' bid for expansion when the league moves to 28 teams "has been headed" by co-Owner Berke Bakay and "was boosted by the addition" of F Didier Drogba as a part owner/player last year. The ownership group "also includes" musicians Diplo and Pete Wentz, and Braves P Brandon McCarthy (SI.com, 2/10).

The USL Las Vegas Lights FC last night drew a standing-room-only crowd of 10,387 at Cashman Field for their spring exhibition opener against the Impact (Lights FC). A party atmosphere "poured into the stadium, where the capacity crowd overflowed from their plastic seats, through the metal handrails and into the grassy hills." The "real star" of the night "was the crowd itself." Particularly, the "section behind the net, which led chants throughout the night, waived neon-colored flags and danced through blue and yellow smoke bombs during pregame announcements" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 2/11). 

Meanwhile, USL club Nashville SC last night "played its first game in front of a sold-out crowd of 9,059" at First Tennessee Park against Atlanta United. The Nashville supporter group "was constantly singing and keeping the energy level high." Atlanta United GK Brad Guzan said, "MLS, when it does come eventually, it's going to be a hit here" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 2/11).

FC Dallas for '18 will make "changes to the north end of Toyota Stadium seating, the section of stands called the Budweiser Beer Garden." The Beer Garden for the last decade has "had a 21 and up age restriction." For '18, the Beer Garden "will be open to all ages." FC Dallas also announced the "move of supporter groups El Matador and Lone Star Legion to the north end of the stadium, joining the Dallas Beer Guardians, to form a single supporters section in the Beer Garden." The move "was mandated by FC Dallas after the change in ticket price structure" due to the US Soccer HOF "being built in the south end of the stadium" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/11).

Boston-based WEEI-FM "has suspended host Christian Fauria for five days" after he mocked NFL agent Don Yee by "using a racially stereotyped Asian accent" on his Friday program. WEEI in a statement Friday night said Fauria’s comments about Yee, the agent for Patriots QB Tom Brady, were “an insensitive and ill-conceived attempt at humor” and that it did not “support or condone” his words. Fauria, a co-host of the “Ordway, Merloni, and Fauria” show, mocked Yee while "discussing reporter Ron Borges’s erroneous story in Friday’s Boston Herald" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 2/10).

Nineteen new cases of norovirus "were diagnosed" yesterday at the Olympics, bringing the "weeklong total to 158 cases, largely among security personnel" (LATIMES.com, 2/10).

Team USA outfitter Polo Ralph Lauren runs a two-page ad in today's N.Y. Times wishing luck to the team during the Pyeongchang Games. The ad shows Team USA members at the Opening Ceremony donning the brand's garb. Meanwhile, Team USA's official sporting goods retail sponsor Dick's Sporting Goods also runs a full-page ad in today's Times with a letter from Chair & CEO Ed Stack: "United In Sport" (THE DAILY). 

“Mr. Melnyk trusts my capabilities as a general manager, and I think the security is great for myself and my family. At the same time I have a job to do and I have to do it what we think is best for the Ottawa Senators" -- Senators GM Pierre Dorion, on receiving a contract extension from Owner Eugene Melnyk through '21-22. The team parted ways with President & CEO Tom Anselmi over the weekend (OTTAWA SUN, 2/11).

“I just didn’t really think I knew what the Olympics is. I kind of grew up just watching Dew Tour and X Games. I’d never really realized how big it is” -- U.S. snowboarder Red Gerard, the first member of Team USA to win a Gold Medal at the Pyeongchang Games (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/11).

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

The INDIANAPOLIS STAR writes under the header, "Pacers' Donnie Walsh: 'All He's Ever Wanted To Do Is Basketball.'" Basketball royalty of the "genius variety doesn't come along often." And when it does, it "usually doesn't come with humility." Walsh, now a Pacers consultant, has been nominated to the Basketball HOF three times in the last five years, but said he is "not one of these guys who live my life to make the Hall of Fame." 

The DETROIT FREE PRESS goes with the header, "An Inside Look At Detroit Lions' Hiring Of Head Coach Matt Patricia." Following Patricia's speech during a Patriots' private celebration of late Pro Football HOFer Junior Seau in '12 was the "first and only time during their 12 seasons together" that Lions GM Bob Quinn "told Patricia he'd make a great head coach, but that thought never was far from Quinn's mind." When Quinn got his "first chance to hire a coach this offseason, his search led him directly to the man everyone thought he would target from the beginning."

Elsewhere:

• Univ. of Colorado "spearheading" Pac-12 concussion research.
• Why is Fresno State delaying its hiring of an AD?
• How USOC CEO Blackmun keeps his job amid Nassar scandal.
• Politics complicate show of unity, peace at Pyeongchang Games.
• Influence of late GM Johannson "still resonates" for U.S. hockey team.
• NFL teams less likely to tank compared to those in MLB.
• NBA Kings Assistant GM Williams a major influence on team's moves.

I am really Pumped watching the Winter Olympics. I am watching events I never thought I would watch before, like curling. You heard me, curling Fool!

— Mr. T (@MrT) February 11, 2018

Red Raider Nation, how can we continue to improve the home court advantage at bb games? Best idea gets 2 tickets for Tuesday’s game vs OU.

— Kirby Hocutt (@kirbyhocutt) February 11, 2018

Bad luck for @Bridgestone, who filmed an Olympic ad with US figure skater Ashley Wagner, who failed to make the team. Ad just aired on NBC.

— Jeremy Schilling (@jschil) February 11, 2018

I've been reminded that gold medalist Red Gerard recently did deals with Icebreakers and Comcast, so my earlier remark about his not having broken into the non-endemics is not quite accurate. He will take another step in that direction now though.

— Ben Fischer (@BenFischerSBJ) February 11, 2018

Behind the scenes at today’s #AdvanceAutoClash Driver/Crew Chief Meeting @DISupdates pic.twitter.com/m3HaeauBZj

— Brandon Igdalsky (@bigdalsky) February 11, 2018