Front-Page Headlines: Las Vegas Review-Journal: "Touchdown, Vegas!" ... Las Vegas Sun: "Spreading The Love" ... S.F. Chronicle: "Raiders Off To Vegas" ... San Jose Mercury News: "NFL Backs Raiders' Bet On Las Vegas"

NBC’s Jimmy Fallon said, “It was just announced that the Oakland Raiders will be moving to Las Vegas. People in Oakland said, ‘It will be rough not having pro football,’ then people in Cleveland said, ‘Ah, you'll get used to it’” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 3/27).

Manica Architecture and HNTB have teamed up to design the Raiders’ new $1.7B stadium in Las Vegas, according to sources. David Manica, owner of the K.C.-based firm, confirmed his role as lead designer. The two architects previously worked together under an old proposal to develop a new stadium in Carson, Calif., for the Raiders and Chargers, which was eliminated in favor of building a new NFL facility in Inglewood. In addition, sources said Mortenson Construction and Legends Global Planning are doing pre-construction work for the Raiders. Raiders execs did not return an email for comment.

The NBA Kings have "expressed exploratory interest" in former 76ers GM Sam Hinkie, according to sources, who said that Kings Owner Vivek Ranadive "sought and received permission directly" from 76ers Managing Owner Josh Harris to speak with Hinkie. Hinkie reportedly has "long intrigued Ranadive, whose franchise has been thrust into a rebuilding mode." Neither Hinkie's "level of interest in a position with Sacramento, nor the sort of role Ranadive envisions for Hinkie in a front office currently run" by VP/Basketball Operations & GM Vlade Divac, was immediately known (ESPN.com, 3/27).

The Kings in a statement said, "The Kings are not hiring Sam Hinkie and have no plans to bring anyone in above Vlade" (TWITTER.com, 3/27).

Nathan’s Famous has signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with MLB, making the brand the league’s first-ever official hot dog and placing the MLB logo on Nathan’s retail packaging. Other activations include a consumer sweepstakes to win a trip to the '17 All-Star Game in Miami, in-store signage, social media content and support of the league’s Play Ball youth participation effort. Other All-Star Week activations could include a hot dog eating contest at FanFest. The deal includes a media buy commitment to MLB.com and MLB Network.

See more in today's issue of THE DAILY.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber yesterday said that "he's 'confident' St. Louis will get a team in the league's four-team expansion," if area voters "approve financing for a stadium next Tuesday." Garber, visiting St. Louis a week before the vote, said, "I'm very confident that if we're able to go forward here, all that energy behind bringing MLS to St. Louis for many, many years will be fulfilled." Proposition 2 would designate $60M in public financing toward a 22,000-seat downtown venue (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 3/28).

NFL owners yesterday approved $60M in league-backed stadium financing for the Ravens, who are spending $120M on upgrades to M&T Bank Stadium. The renovation will occur over three offseasons, said Ravens President Dick Cass. This offseason, new videoboards from Samsung will be installed. The team also will install new LED lights. In later offseasons, new elevators to the upper bowl, expanded kitchen space and four corner suites will be added, Cass said.

Women's equality advocacy group LeanIn.Org has partnered with the NBA, WNBA and NBPA to launch a new public awareness campaign, with a PSA and online videos highlighting the role men play in achieving gender equality. This marks the third such #LeanInTogether campaign. Vignettes highlight the personal stories of Suns G Devin Booker, Pelicans G Jrue Holiday, Raptors G Kyle Lowry and Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon. A PSA featuring Booker, Holiday and Lowry will air throughout the rest of the NBA season (THE DAILY).

WWE has struck its first official secondary ticketing deal, a multiyear agreement with StubHub making it WWE’s exclusive ticket resale marketplace for the U.S. and Canada. The deal arrives in time for Sunday's WrestleMania 33 on and Saturday's WWE HOF induction, both in Orlando. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal contains no traditional in-venue signage, a common fixture in StubHub’s other sports agreements. But there will be large digital and social media-based components, and the two entities will collaborate on developing exclusive co-branded content.

The agreement connects two key parts of the career of StubHub GM for North America Perkins Miller, who from '12-14 Miller served as WWE Exec VP/Digital Media.

Are you or someone you know in sports business going to the Final Four this weekend in Phoenix? If so, SBJ/SBD wants to hear about your experience. Sign up here and we’ll connect with you after the nets are cut down.

President Trump is "in talks to throw out the first pitch" at Nationals Park on MLB's Opening Day, and he "might also spend an inning in the announcing booth with MASN" (POLITICO.com, 3/28).

The final design of Colorado State's stadium scoreboard "includes a perforated-pattern Rams head on the back side." Some community members say that the "'ghost logo' goes against the wishes of a design advisory group tasked with mitigating impacts on surrounding neighborhoods" (Ft. Collins COLORADOAN, 3/28).

Coastal Carolina Univ. is "trying out a pilot program to sell beer at some athletic events." Currently, beer is "only sold on Saturdays and Sundays at CCU baseball games" (WBTW.com, 3/28).

Last night's UConn-Oregon NCAA women's tournament regional final at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., drew "a capacity crowd of 8,978" (HARTFORD COURANT, 3/28).

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick – the Spring Training home of the D-backs and Rockies – has "set attendance records for this year's Cactus League." The venue drew "more than 300,000 fans for the seventh consecutive season" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/27).

"I guess an NFL franchise can be bought and moved if the team’s got an old stadium, and you’ve seen that three times in a year. I don’t get it, I just don’t get that at all. ... I don’t see any NBA teams moving, period" – Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban, on the NFL approving the Raiders' move to Las Vegas (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 3/28).

"There were about 10 people with Raider shirts on. I quizzed them. They didn’t know me from Adam. I said, ‘How do you feel?’ and only one of the 10 cared about the team moving" – Patriots Owner Robert Kraft, on asking Raiders fans along Venice Beach their thoughts on the team moving to Las Vegas (L.A. TIMES, 3/28).

"Look, he’s commissioner in the league. As we all know, he has the right to go wherever he wishes to go. And if he wanted to come, he’s welcomed to come. We’re happy we’ll be celebrating our fifth banner. He can decide whether he wants to be there" – Kraft, on whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will attend the team's banner-raising for Super Bowl LI (BOSTON HERALD, 3/28).

"If we end up not going, the reaction from the players’ side – across the board – is not going to be a good one. And my guess is it’s going to last for a very long time" – NHLPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr, on how the union would react to the league opting not to participate in the '18 PyeonChang Games (POSTMEDIA NEWS, 3/27).

"We have previously stated that the NHL can't just pick and choose which Olympics to participate in" – IIHF President Rene Fasel (ESPN.com, 3/27).

YAHOO FINANCE wrote, "Having an NFL team in Las Vegas makes clear financial sense for the local economy." Hotel-casinos that line the Vegas strip, and NFL teams themselves, will "offer packages to fans of visiting teams." Local hotels can "boost their own capacity and also ensure that visiting tourists go to the games." Also, Mark Davis and the Raiders will "schedule a wide range of non-football events at the stadium." 

More on the Raiders to Las Vegas:

• Some Oakland-based Raiders fans say the team has "lost them forever."
• Fans in Oakland gathered to "commiserate, cry some real tears, drown their sorrows."
• There are "several reasons" why MLB won't be the next league headed to Sin City.
• NFL expansion "isn't on the agenda, but the relocation game might not be over."

Also: 

• Baseball has "never been freer from the sorts of tired pieties that hold progress at bay."
• With increased competition, Nike is "counting on Air Max, once again, to do its magic."
• The U.S.' win could make the WBC a "priority among those at the sport's top levels."
• Where Detroit's four pro sports teams "stand as far as gender diversity."
• A look back at the "unique audition process" for the original "White Men Can't Jump."
• One photographer chronicled the lives of the draft picks "immortalized in 'Moneyball.'"

NFL owners' meeting is likely to end Tuesday. Owners are expected to vote Tuesday on all remaining rule-change proposals.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) March 28, 2017

John Mara offered to pay for the hole in the Lambeau wall punched by Odell Beckham. has not yet received the bill from Mark Murphy.

— Judy Battista (@judybattista) March 28, 2017

33 yrs ago today the #Colts left Baltimore. Today for the 2nd time the fans of Oakland, stiff-armed by politicians, feel abandonment again.

— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) March 28, 2017

Roger Goodell and the NFL owners would put a team in Moscow, Beijing or Beirut if they got a good stadium deal. Talk about being soulless!

— John Feinstein (@JFeinsteinBooks) March 28, 2017

U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) will host a press conference with former members of the USA Gymnastics national team, including Jamie Dantzscher and Dominique Moceanu. The group will call on Congress to pass legislation that would require amateur sports NGBs to immediately report sex-abuse allegations to law enforcement and to strengthen oversight of member gyms and coaches. 

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Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Scientists.”

“This European’s 1751 ‘Philosophia Botanica’ gave rules of nomenclature and said don’t change generic names.”

The opening segment on CBS' "Late Show" last night featured a “Final Four” update on South Carolina earning its first-ever trip to the Final Four, while the Washington Elephants, led by "coach Paul Ryan," suffered a "stunning upset" (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/27).

CBS’ Stephen Colbert said Republicans “were so sure they were going to get” their healthcare bill passed “that an anti-Obamacare PAC ran a bunch of versions” of an ad congratulating Republicans for passing the bill. Colbert: "They also ran this ad congratulating Kansas for making it to the Final Four and printed a newspaper declaring, ‘Dewey Defeats Healthcare Reform’" (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/27).

TBS’ Conan O’Brien: “Political analysts say that after their embarrassing loss on healthcare, the White House is desperately looking for a win, which is why this week they're playing the Lakers” (“Conan,” TBS, 3/27).

“Who was Carl Linnaeus?”