• Nike Inc. said New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown, who is accused of sexually assaulting and raping his former personal trainer in 2017 and 2018, no longer has a relationship with the company. The apparel giant declined to say why the partnership had been severed, but it has ended arrangements in the past with players facing allegations of abusive behavior, such as former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice in 2014. (Ad Age)

• Comcast Corp. and over-the-top streaming platform DAZN agreed to a media distribution deal that will enable Comcast customers who use the company’s streaming app to access DAZN’s app, starting Oct. 5, although they must pay to subscribe to DAZN. The deal with Comcast — the country’s largest cable provider — is the first distribution agreement that DAZN has secured in North America. (Reuters)

• The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the sale of minority ownership stakes to Robert Plummer, chief executive officer of R.P. Lumber Co. and Alan Smolinisky, a principal at Conquest Housing. The size and terms of the deal were not disclosed. (Bloomberg)

ESPN signs Special Olympics rights extension through to 2027
Alex Taylor, SportBusiness

Pan-regional sports broadcaster ESPN has agreed a deal with Special Olympics Unified Sports to extend their broadcast agreement until 2027. ESPN will continue to be the global broadcaster of the Special Olympics World Games, the World Winter Games and USA Games.

What Makes Someone a Fan?
Ken Belson, The New York Times

The sports world is filled with people whose job is to sell tickets, advertisements, sponsorships, luxury boxes and all manner of game-day experiences. The more, the better.

National Women’s Hockey League: Why new Boston Pride owner is bullish on team’s future
Thomas Barrabi, Fox Business

Purchasing a National Women’s Hockey League franchise might seem risky at a time when the league faces questions about its financial viability and a boycott from some of the sport’s top stars, but new Boston Pride owner Miles Arnone is confident he made the right choice. The Pride became the NWHL’s only independently-owned franchise after league officials announced its sale to a group led by Arnone, managing partner of investment firm Cannon Capital.

Fertitta: Working both sides of sports bets not a slam dunk
Wayne Parry, The Associated Press

Tilman Fertitta has looked at sports betting from both sides now: as the owner of a professional basketball team, as well as the owner of casinos that take bets on the sport (just not on his own team). But far from reaping a bonanza from working both sides of the street, Fertitta claims the dual role has actually hurt his business.

Pats’ Brown not distracted by sexual assault accusations
Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press

Patriots receiver Antonio Brown declined to answer questions about allegations of sexual assault and rape against him and says he’s keeping his focus on football. Brown answered only four questions at his locker on Thursday in an interview that lasted just over a minute. It was his first interview with reporters since agreeing to a deal with the Patriots on Sept. 7.

Jalen Ramsey reveals why he wants to be traded, feels disrespected by Jaguars
Sean Wagner-McGough, CBS News

Jaguars superstar cornerback Jalen Ramsey, still only 24 years old, requested a trade in the aftermath of a Week 2 defeat to the Texans, which dropped the Jaguars to 0-2 on the season. That much was already known and has been known since Monday.

The Dolphins Are Awful. Brian Flores Is Fine.
Jeré Longman, The New York Times

Before agreeing to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins last winter, Brian Flores consulted his former high school coach in Brooklyn.

Rivera walks out on reporters over Cam queries
David Newton, ESPN

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera exited his press conference abruptly on Thursday after less than 2 ½ minutes when questions persisted on the status of quarterback Cam Newton. “I just asked you to ask me questions about somebody else,” Rivera said.

Pirates Pitcher Faces Deportation If Convicted of Sex Crimes
Louise Radnofsky and Jared Diamond, The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is tracking charges of child pornography and solicitation of sex from a teenage girl against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vázquez, agency officials said Thursday, raising the possibility that the U.S. will seek to deport the All-Star closer if he is convicted of crimes. But removing him to his native Venezuela may prove difficult for the U.S., amid political instability there and all-but-severed U.S. relations with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

Yankees and Their Patchwork Roster Are A.L. East Champions
James Wagner, The New York Times

A month into the 2019 season, the Yankees were a sliver above .500 and their lineup was jarring. As the team faced the San Francisco Giants on April 26, five Yankees who had started on opening day were on the injured list, including the star outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

Acuña hits 40th HR, Braves clinch tie for first in NL East
Paul Newberry, The Associated Press

Ronald Acuña Jr. was pumped to join a very exclusive club. He’s even more thrilled about the chance to properly celebrate a division title.

Yankees’ Domingo Germán put on leave over domestic violence
The Associated Press

Yankees star pitcher Domingo Germán has been placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball because of domestic violence. MLB did not give details in its statement Thursday, but said the leave “may last up to seven days, barring an extension.”

Reynolds named New Jersey Devils president, Weber given HBSE promotion
Bob Williams, SportBusiness

Jake Reynolds has been named the new president of the New Jersey Devils, effective immediately, and will oversee will all business, revenue, strategy and operations for the National Hockey League team. Reynolds previously worked as chief revenue officer for parent company Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE).

Salary cap economics squeezing out NHL’s middle class
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press

Stanley Cup-winning experience isn’t worth what it used to be. Neither is experience of any kind. As NHL teams move toward paying their stars more money and relying on young players to fill the gaps, hockey’s middle class is being squeezed out.

What we know about the U.S. women’s national team’s fight for equal pay
Megan Linehan, The Athletic

The lawsuit filed by the U.S. women’s national team against their own federation, U.S. Soccer, didn’t appear out of thin air on International Women’s Day earlier this year. There are years of backstory and a lot of moving pieces involved.

Tottenham secures financial future with stadium debt deal
Murad Ahmed and Robert Smith, Financial Times

Daniel Levy tells FT refinancing will not change frugal business plan and transfer policy.

F1 cars set for show run down LA’s Hollywood Blvd.
ESPN

Formula One will conduct a live showcase of 2019 race cars on the streets of Los Angeles on Oct. 30. F1 is hosting a Hollywood Festival that promises to “tear up tinsel town.”

Third proposal for thoroughbred horse track emerges
The Associated Press

Three proposals are jockeying to return thoroughbred horse racing to Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association says it’s working with an investment group to build a $60 million track on 280-acres in Rowley, near the New Hampshire state line.

Roger Federer’s Laver Cup brings the fun to the men’s tennis game
Peter Bodo, ESPN

When Roger Federer came up with the idea for the Laver Cup a few years ago, he envisioned a low-key “weekend festival of tennis” that would honor former greats and give today’s stars the opportunity to mentor the rising generation. This was one of the few times in his career that Federer could be accused of harboring low expectations.

Ex-staffer: Dantonio ignored warnings on recruit
Dan Murphy, ESPN

A former Michigan State football staffer said under oath that head coach Mark Dantonio ignored his assistants’ warnings while recruiting a player who subsequently was convicted of sexually assaulting a fellow student on campus and that important information was omitted from an investigation into how the athletic department handled a pair of sexual misconduct allegations involving football players. Former Michigan State recruiting director Curtis Blackwell is suing Dantonio, former athletic director Mark Hollis, former university president Lou Anna Simon and two university police officers for wrongful termination and unlawful arrest.

In Pac-12 Football: Empty Seats, TV Woes and Recruiting Gaps
Billy Witz, The New York Times

When Larry Scott, the Pacific-12 Conference commissioner, began jumping through hoops for television money, he envisioned nights like Friday, a prime-time audience on national television for a compelling game: No. 10 Utah, the conference’s highest-ranked team, against U.S.C., its most storied program. And yet that story line may be overtaken by a subplot — the presence of the excommunicated Reggie Bush and the eternally angling Urban Meyer, who in their roles as Fox Sports commentators will loom over the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum like plaintive ghosts of U.S.C. football past and (perhaps) future.

ESPN, West Coast Conference Reach Multiyear Deal Through 2026-27
Sports Video Group

ESPN has reached a new multiyear deal with the West Coast Conference (WCC) through 2026-27, beginning with the upcoming college basketball season. The new agreement is part of a long-standing relationship with the WCC, which began in 2006. As the primary national rightsholder, ESPN will televise 17 regular season men’s basketball games across its networks, including a number of games during conference play. Selections will be made prior to any other WCC media partner.

High school gamers are scoring college scholarships. But can esports make varsity?
Brian McGrath, NBC News

When 11th grader Jeremy Murray joined the esports team at Francis Howell Central High School in St. Charles, Missouri, his father had a natural reaction for a parent: What about homework? Then, this past spring, six of Jeremy’s teammates were offered nearly $400,000 in scholarships to play esports in college.

Pay College Athletes? Here’s a Common Sense Way to Do It
Jason Gay, The Wall Street Journal

Greetings from the Dept. of Reasonable. Have you ever been to the Dept. of Reasonable?