When sports business analysts look back at viewership statistics for March Madness 2016, it's unlikely that it will be a year for the record books. Ratings were down, but analysts say it's part of a trend, and that small-screen views might be one of the biggest culprits.

In a dance that seems all too familiar, yet another governor is trying to backstep after passing yet another piece of controversial legislation that turned into a yet another tourism nightmare. This time, it's North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory whose state, currently poised to accommodate the NFL, NBA, NCAA and more, is in the crosshairs.

Millennials are poised for world domination, someday. In the meantime, they enjoy escaping back into childhood periodically. And that just might be really good news for sports event organizers. All they need to do is tap into that wish to get back to the playground.

Before the Olympics, it's typical for U.S. athletes to lobby to be the flag-bearer who leads the contingent into Opening Ceremonies. For another group of athletes, though, there is no flag to fight over. They're refugees, even though they're Olympians, and they left behind everything to survive. Now, they're the feel-good story of the Games.

As decision time nears for the five sports being considered for Olympic inclusion, one is working on forging alliances with affiliated organizations to strengthen its case. The International Federation of Sport Climbing has signed up six official partners for the 2016 season.

While it has already been established that Rio is far from ready for its close-up, the latest downturn, the failure of the Velodrome to host a test event, has been an embarrassment for organizers. And with less than four months until showtime, it's a full-blown crisis.