Yesterday's Final Four "set an NCAA basketball attendance record" by drawing 79,444 fans to AT&T Stadium, beating the previous record of 78,129 when Kentucky beat Michigan State in a regular-season game at Ford Field in Dec. '03. The crowd also "topped the Final Four mark" of 75,421 at Reliant Stadium in '11 (AP, 4/5). Meanwhile, some media members yesterday complained about "up to two-hour waits for shuttle service from designated media hotels in Dallas to AT&T Stadium, as well as traffic backups once en route" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/6).

The Final Four's TV numbers are down from last year, but CBS and Turner Sports are touting digital statistics that are up across the board. Though the combined TV viewership across TBS, TNT and truTV is down from last year's Final Four on CBS, the matchups have become the two most-watched college basketball games in cable television history. Fast nationals from the early game, UConn-Florida, averaged a combined 6.9 rating and 11.7 million viewers across TNT, TBS and truTV. Those figures are down from last year's 8.7 and 14.4 million viewers. The late game, Kentucky-Wisconsin, averaged a 9.2 rating and 16.3 million viewers across the three channels, down from last year's 10.2 rating and 17.1 million viewers.

From a digital perspective, the numbers are good. Turner reported a 76% increase in live streams (3.8 million) and a 37% increase in the number of hours of live video consumed (more than 1 million in total). The games logged 1.8 million related Tweets, a figure that is up 36% from last year.

During halftime of the Kentucky-Wisconsin Final Four game last night, TNT’s Charles Barkley called out viewers for complaining about the Teamcast announcers on TNT and truTV. Barkley: "Some of you people are idiots. You are tweeting Kenny (Smith) and Reggie (Miller) complaining about the Teamcasts. They are supposed to be homers. Stop complaining!" Host Ernie Johnson added, “That is the point of the Teamcast.” Barkley: "Listen, you idiots, that is why we call it a home cast telecast." Johnson said to Barkley, “You probably could have chosen words that weren’t quite as harsh for the viewing public" ("Kentucky-Wisconsin," TBS, 4/5).

A sampling of reax on Twitter on Teamcast: N.Y. Daily News' Bob Raissman: "Why confusion over Turner's Teamcast wrinkle? Isn't 'Teamcast' format what Fox News and MSNBC air every night?" Awful Announcing: "Turner obviously did not anticipate that people would fail to understand the Teamcast concept." N.Y. Times' Scott Cacciola: "One of the problems with this teamcast thing is that there are people watching TNT who think that's the actual broadcast."

ESPN this morning aired live cricket coverage on one of its main nets for the first time in company's history by broadcasting the Int'l Cricket Council World T20 Finals from Bangladesh. Analyst Colin Croft opened the coverage by saying, "Hello to all of our friends watching, especially, in the United States on ESPN2." Broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar said, "You will see, as the match starts, every seat in the house will be taken" ("ICC World Twenty20 Final," ESPN2, 4/6). ESPN is "experimenting to see if the sport can gain traction" in the U.S., where the sport has a "loyal but small fan base" (REUTERS, 4/4).

The PGA Tour Shell Houston Open is under way after it moved up final-round tee times today, due to an 80% chance of  "heavy showers and thunderstorms" in Humble, Texas. Not finishing the round today could mean a "Monday finish for the Masters tune-up," which would be "a major headache." Just how much of an "inconvenience it poses, however, depends on the players’ Augusta preparation" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 4/5).

F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone today said that a U.S.-backed team headed by NASCAR team Owner Gene Haas is "among two new teams the sport is likely to admit next season." Ecclestone said that he had "held discussions with the sport's governing body, the FIA, and there was agreement about expanding the grid next season." He said, "They will be accepted, and we've also accepted another team as well, although whether they'll make it or not is another story" (AP, 4/6).

A panel will discuss the business of women’s basketball tomorrow at the Women's Final Four Summit in Nashville. Reps of the NCAA and member schools, USA Basketball, WNBA and other organizations will participate (NCAA.com, 4/6). Meanwhile, open practices and autograph sessions yesterday at Bridgestone Arena drew 9,025, a figure NCAA Associate Dir of D-I Women's Basketball Rick Nixon said is “one of our better numbers” for the event (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/6). Tonight’s two Final Four games are “sold out” (Baltimore SUN, 4/4).

Nashville's selection as a host city for a future NHL All-Star game "appears imminent," according to city Convention and Visitors Corp. President & CEO Butch Spyridon. He said that there "have been ongoing discussions with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman" and that the CVC has "even set aside $100,000 in its event marketing fund" for the event. Nashville Metro Finance Dir Rich Riebeling "confirmed that the game could be in Nashville" as soon as '16 (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/5).

The Bills yesterday held a celebration and remembrance of late Founder & Owner Ralph Wilson Jr. at the team's field house in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Bills arranged "pictures of Wilson in his youth; a portrait of him watching one of the Bills' four Super Bowl contests" and pictures of him with players during "great moments." Wilson's widow, Mary Wilson, "greeted fans as they signed a guestbook" (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/6).

Former and current players, employees and thousands of fans paid their respects to Wilson, who died on March 25. The mood "was festive," as a "long line of fans snaked into the parking lot once the doors opened." Many "wore team jerseys and posed for pictures in front of the Wilson memorabilia" (AP, 4/5).

Cleveland-based WEWS-ABC on Friday erroneously reported that Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam III had "been indicted" on federal fraud charges pertaining to the ongoing investigation of Pilot Flying J's alleged fuel-rebate scheme. The report has been retracted by the station (NEWSNET5.com, 4/4).

L.A.-based Yee & Dubin Sports Partner Don Yee, agent of Patriots QB Tom Brady, writes an Op-Ed in the WASHINGTON POST stating "oppression can only last so long. The NCAA is about to find this out." Yee explores what "the 2020 college-age football world" will look like for a "highly decorated high school senior." He wrote "rich and ambitious innovators" like Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban could "create a new league, stocked with talent between the ages of 18 and 20." This league can "give these players free-market salaries and even offer them educations through partnerships with colleges or vocational schools" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/5).

Pro Football HOFer Jim Kelly on Friday attended Wizards-Knicks, and a picture of him and his family "was flashed on the Jumbotron" at MSG. Kelly went to the game "during a night out from the hospital" in N.Y., where he is being treated for cancer (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/5). Kelly said that he is starting radiation treatment tomorrow for his "rare form of oral cancer and was 'praying for a miracle'" (N.Y. POST, 4/5).

SEC Network hired former All-Americans Anthony "Booger" McFarland and Marcus Spears as college football analysts (ESPN).

An announced crowd of 35,241 attended yesterday's Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park (SACRAMENTO BEE, 4/6).

A source said Toronto Mayor Rob Ford "received a warning from Air Canada Centre security staff" over his "behaviour" at last night's Jets-Maple Leafs game (TORONTO STAR, 4/6).

The Lightning yesterday "unveiled a statue of former captain Dave Andreychuk hoisting the Stanley Cup." It will be "displayed on the west plaza at the Tampa Bay Times Forum near the statue" of team co-Founder & Hockey HOFer Phil Esposito (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/6).

An estimated 70,000 people will attend today's WrestleMania XXX at the Mercedes-Benz SuperDome and 125,000 will "take in all the events surrounding" the event (NOLA.com, 4/4).

"Listen, there was a lot of media hysteria about conference realignment. Our donors, supporters and alumni are committed to UConn. It's never been an obsession among them (to get out of the American) because they realize so much of it is out of our control that we can't change" – UConn President Susan Herbst, on why the school is content as a member of the AAC (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/6).

"The coaches in this league, in this day and era, are soft; the players are soft, how can you build something?" – Former NBAer Charles Oakley, on the current state of the NBA (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/6).

"(It) always has been the highest-rated and most anticipated golf tournament of the year. That was true before Tiger played in it. It's true when Tiger (plays) in it and it will be true when Tiger is no longer playing" – CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus, on how Tiger Woods' absence from The Masters will impact the tournament's appeal (L.A. TIMES, 4/6).

"These colleges are greedy, man. They want to keep a kid ... in school if they start to win" – Basketball HOFer Oscar Robertson, on why he thinks colleges are selfish for wanting to keep basketball players from going to the NBA (AP, 4/5).

"My question is, are we ever going to get to a point where an athletics director and a president says, ‘I don’t care about the money'?" – ESPN's Doris Burke, on why she is disheartened by the Univ. of Maryland's upcoming move from to the Big Ten (Baltimore SUN, 4/6).

“From the National Anthem playing (on) electric guitar to the bikini clad dancers suspended in midair throughout the game, The L.A. Kiss delivered” – ESPN’s Bram Weinstein, on the AFL team’s home debut yesterday (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 4/6).

With the new MLB season underway and new Fan Cost Index data available, writers examine the cost of attending MLB games. The L.A. TIMES' Scott Martelle wrote there is "something depressing about the fact that 'the national pastime' has become too expensive for the average person to take part in." However, SPORTS ON EARTH's Joe DeLessio wrote under the subheader, "Attending A Baseball Game Is Actually Still A Good Bargain." Meanwhile, the N.Y. POST's Ken Davidoff writes under the header, "High Cost Of Citi Visits Helping To Keep Mets Fans Away."

Elsewhere:

• N.Y. TIMES editorial board on horse racing: "Policing The Sport Of Kings And Knaves."
• How the "game of chicken" that is the Dodgers' RSN issue could end.
• In addition to the RSN topic, Dodgers see other "PR problems as the season begins."
• "How To Wreck A Franchise" -- a look at the Nuggets' recent "downfall."
• Ortiz' White House selfie "forever changed the dynamics of those meet and greets."

UPS Senior Project Lead/Sponsorships & Events J.W. Cannon: "Saw Hooters girls got kicked out of Bracket Town today. Trying to ambush #NCAA partner, Buffalo Wild Wings."

CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd, on the Final Four at AT&T Stadium: "This must be what Pong looked like in the 70s. #viewfrompressbox"

DC-based WJFK-FM's Bill Rohland: "RIP #Caps playoffs chances. Lots of change coming this summer. Caps are getting close to being a non factor on local sports landscape."

Sponsorship measurement firm Joyce Julius & Associate's account: "Through the first 5 Cup races, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been mentioned 88.6% more frequently by #NASCAR TV announcers than he was a year ago."

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.