Wimbledon held "an emotional 20-minute farewell ceremony" for Andy Murray "to say goodbye to one of Britain's greatest athletes" following his loss in the men's doubles competition yesterday. With Murray's "retirement beckoning later this summer following the Olympics," he "took the acclaim of his family, friends, rivals and many fans as he walked off Centre Court in near darkness." In attendance for the ceremony were "players both past and present, with Novak Djokovic, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, Tim Henman, Lleyton Hewitt and Jack Draper." Sue Barker hosted the proceedings (London TIMES, 7/4).

Murray will have "at least one last dance on the grass" when he teams up with Emma Raducanu for mixed doubles "later this week," but Thursday's ceremony was "all about bathing in the memories of the three-time Grand Slam champion" and he responded with "the same dry wit as ever as he basked in the adoration from the crowd and his peers." The match itself was "already a special occasion" even without the post-match tribute.  A doubles match "on Centre Court in the first week is not really how things are meant to work" (THE SCOTSMAN, 7/4).

For the second consecutive season, the L.A. Galaxy and LAFC moved their "Fourth of July game to the Rose Bowl ... and were rewarded with the second-largest crowd in MLS this season" with a crowd of 70,076 on hand to see LAFC win a 2-1 game that broke a tie atop the Western Conference standings. The 70,000-plus crowd also represented the 14th-highest attendance in MLS history and they "were rewarded with an entertaining game" (L.A. TIMES, 7/4). 

A former employee of NWSL club San Diego Wave shared a social media post describing a “toxic work environment” under President Jill Ellis that was “devastating to our mental health” with the club calling the allegations “inaccurate and defamatory … and categorically false." On Wednesday night, three other former employees had “posted similar allegations.” Former videographer Brittany Alvarado said that “more than 30 employees have been fired or quit since the club was founded in 2021.” That number could “not be independently verified,” but numerous people have left the organization, including GM Molly Downtain as well as others in marketing, operations and media relations. Coach Casey Stoney was fired last week after a seven-game winless streak, just months after signing a contract extension through 2027. Alvarado in a statement wrote, "On behalf of myself and my former colleagues, the treatment we endured under club President Jill Ellis has been nothing short of life-altering and devastating to our mental health. She has compromised countless lives to advance her narcissistic personal agenda, fostering an environment where abusive behaviors among her subordinates are allowed to flourish" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/3).

In a statement, Ellis called the allegations made by the former employee "both 'false' and 'personally damaging.'" Ellis also noted in her statement that "independent third parties have assisted" in evaluating the workplace for the Wave, adding that "mental health concerns are a priority for the club" and that the club "has support measures" in place (AP, 7/4).

San Diego FC announced two additional members of the expansion club’s ownership Wednesday, naming retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer Jocko Willink and businessman David C. Michan as partners. Willink, who is a resident of San Diego and also a co-author of “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win” and “Dichotomy of Leadership.” Michan is currently the CEO of real estate investment firm Strata Equity Group. Willink’s role with SDFC will help the club develop a comprehensive community program framework designed to actively involve and honor the armed services community of San Diego (SAN DIEGO FC). 

The NBA In-Season Tournament, now called the Emirates NBA Cup, will “return to Las Vegas" and T-Mobile Arena this year. According to an agenda posted for next week’s Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority BOD meeting, the NBA Cup will “take place on unspecified dates in December at T-Mobile Arena,” the site of last year’s inaugural event. The tournament will begin in November with teams playing games at their home arenas leading up to the semifinals and final in Las Vegas. According to the agency, the LVCVA will vote on a $1.6M “sponsorship of the tournament,” which will provide the tourism agency with “advertising, marketing and hospitality opportunities before, during and after the event.” All three games in Las Vegas will be aired on national TV (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 7/3). 

Sharks F Macklin Celebrini's impact on the franchise was "unmistakable, as evidenced by the 3,000 or so people paid money to see him and San Jose’s other top prospects take part in a midday scrimmage" on Thursday. Sharks D Eric Pohlkamp said, "I think last year was a pretty good crowd, but this year was maybe way better.” Sharks Dir of Player Development Todd Marchant said of Celebrini, “He’s given a buzz back to the San Jose Sharks organization.” When players were introduced "one-by-one before the scrimmage, Celebrini ... received the loudest ovation" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/4).

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game uniforms will feature a "design inspired by Texas' western heritage, with typography and graphics that exude the classic vibes of the Lone Star State but with a contemporary aesthetic." Unveiled by Nike on Wednesday, the "home American League jerseys will feature a sandy base, along with red sleeves and lettering, while the visiting National League threads will have a navy blue base, with light blue sleeves and lettering" (MLB.com, 7/3)

This will be the fourth year in a row that the All-Star game will "feature All-Star jerseys" in place of players wearing " their regular-season uniforms for the game." The last three All-Star games have "featured one team in a solid-color jersey over solid-color pants" and this year will be "no exception" with the NL "pairing dark navy blue pants with dark navy blue jerseys" and the AL wearing "beige pants with beige jerseys." The jerseys spell out "'National League' and 'American League,' one word stacked above the other," resembling the NL uniforms "for the first All-Star Game in 1933" (THE ATHLETIC, 7/3).

Reviews for the uniforms "weren't all bad." Many pointed out "similarities between the All-Star jerseys and jerseys in the Negro Leagues, something the MLB has been working to honor this season" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/3).

Former Raptors C Jontay Porter will be "charged with a federal felony" connected to the sports betting scandal that spurred the NBA to ban him for life, court papers indicate (AP, 7/3). 

The Univ. of Washington and Washington State Univ. men's basketball teams announced a "two-year agreement" to continue their in-state rivalry, which began in 1910 (SEATTLE TIMES, 7/3).

CCM Hockey announced that NHL Draft No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini and PWHL Draft No. 1 pick Sarah Fillier will be exclusive CCM ambassadors (PR Newswire, 7/2).

The DALLAS MORNING NEWS goes with the header, "Why Dallas fought so hard for FIFA’s International Broadcast Center." The city of Dallas is betting that hosting the international broadcast center for the 2026 World Cup in the city is "a monumental task that would reel in even more international visitors and dollars to Dallas." The latest estimates predict that the International Broadcast Center could bring a "$215 million impact to the city and over 150 temporary jobs to the area."

Also:

• The rise in global transfers and fees demonstrate increasing options for women in soccer.

The NBA is looking for a Head of Business Development for Europe & Middle East. The hybrid, London-based position is responsible for driving partnership sales revenue through the acquisition of new regional and global partners for the league, among other duties (NBA).

IMG is looking for a VP/Football Events. The N.Y.-based position is responsible for sourcing and closing new sponsorships with global brand for assets within the regional Football portfolio which encompasses all of the Americas (IMG).

Amazon Prime Video is looking for a Senior Business Affairs Exec for Original Sports Content. The Culver City-based position is responsible for negotiating license agreements to secure necessary rights and services from leagues, producers, directors and key talent, among other duties (Amazon Prime Video).

The F1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix is looking for a Senior Dir of Brand Marketing. The Miami Gardens-based position is responsible for driving the strategy and overseeing the year-round execution of the race's brand and marketing campaigns (F1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix).

The NFL is looking for a Senior Coordinator of Labor Information and Player Administration. The N.Y.-based position is responsible for working with staff from the Management Council, Information Technology and other departments to develop new systems and reporting mechanisms and assisting with daily Player Personnel and Salary Cap tasks and analytical reporting (NFL).

To have your job postings included in “Roster Spots" -- a feature in Morning Buzz on Fridays -- please send information to ogreen@sportsbusinessjournal.com.

Graham Ashcraft and the @Reds win the standoff! 😅 pic.twitter.com/UhcApBnxJv

— MLB (@MLB) July 4, 2024

Netting saves Rangers fan from falling in the dugout, get’s kicked out, and Padres players encourage security to bring him back. Gotta love baseball! #Padres #Rangers pic.twitter.com/6RfAsWba2Q

— Mark Bartlett (@mark_a_bartlett) July 4, 2024

LARGEST CROWD IN TRUIST FIELD HISTORY!

11,211 tonight 😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/ZebLNzeinT

— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) July 5, 2024

Bears are granting Jonathan Owens special permission to leave training camp to support his wife at the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/iRlqeR8Gu6

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 3, 2024

"In 1992 Jean Polly told new Web users to do this & later explained they 'need some skill…never know if there are going to be sharks.'"

What is surf(ing) the Internet/surf(ing) the Web?