NBA Commissioner Adam Silver last night said the league will "move extraordinarily quickly" in its investigation of racist comments allegedly made by Clippers Owner Donald Sterling. Silver said Sterling "has agreed that he will not attend" today's Clippers-Warriors game. Silver added there are "broad powers in place under the NBA's constitution and bylaws that include a range of sanctions and all of those will be considered, depending on the findings of our investigation" (THE DAILY). Silver is scheduled to fly to Oakland for the game today, and "it is possible" he could meet with Sterling (ESPN.com, 4/27). Watch Silver's press conference.

The Clippers in a 45-minute team meeting yesterday “considered a variety of silent protests, varying from boycotting” today's game to “playing with statement-making patches or wristbands in response" to Sterling's alleged comments. Clippers coach Doc Rivers said the team decided "to stick together and show how strong we are as a group. Not splinter. Not walk. It's easy to protest. The protest will show in our play” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/27).

Rivers led the meeting with G Chris Paul and F Blake Griffin among those who “spoke and voiced their anger” (ESPNLA.com, 4/26). Rivers: “No one was happy about it. J.J. Redick was just as pissed as Chris Paul and that’s the way it should be” (L.A. TIMES, 4/27). The S.F. Chronicle’s Bruce Jenkins writes the series has “become a referendum on ownership in professional sports, and how a prideful group of men should react to catastrophic news” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/27). Meanwhile, NAACP Interim President Lorraine Miller, whose organization was planning to honor Sterling, said he "is not receiving a lifetime achievement award" next month ("Meet The Press," NBC, 4/27).

After an audio recording of racist remarks allegedly made by Sterling surfaced, "anger, frustration and calls for action echoed around the NBA" (AP, 4/27). Pacers F David West said of Sterling, "He has a history of being a bigot and a racist" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/27). Heat F LeBron James: "It's unacceptable in our league" (MIAMI HERALD, 4/27). Bobcats Owner & Chair Michael Jordan in a statement today said, "I'm obviously disgusted that a fellow team owner could hold such sickening and offensive views" (Bobcats). Even President Obama weighed in, saying, "When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don’t really have to do anything. You just let them talk" (NYTIMES.com, 4/27).

TNT's Charles Barkley: "This is the first test of Adam Silver. ... (Silver) has to suspend him and fine him immediately.  We can't have an NBA owner discriminating against a league -- we're a black league" ("Inside The NBA," TNT, 4/26). ESPN's Bill Simmons: "They got to do the right thing. They got to figure out a way to get the team away from him" ("NBA Countdown," ESPN, 4/26). Magic Johnson, who was mentioned in the audio recording, said Silver "needs to come down hard. He shouldn't own the team anymore" ("NBA Countdown," ABC, 4/27). Warriors C Jermaine O'Neal said, "It’s Adam Silver’s first real, real task. Let’s see what his response is. I think this can really set the tone for how people view him" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 4/27).

How major outlets are covering the Sterling story today:

• N.Y. POST Banner Across Top of Sports: "NBA Owner Race Rant"

• N.Y. DAILY NEWS Sports cover: "DUNK HIM!" Subhead: "Lawrence: NBA needs to find a way to strip Sterling Of Clippers After Racist Rant"

• N.Y. TIMES Page 1: "NBA Probing Racial Remarks Tied To Owner"

• L.A. TIMES Page 1, top right: "Storm Swirls Around Clippers Owner"

• L.A. DAILY NEWS Front page: "Sterling Under Fire." Subhead: "Racial Rant: Clippers Owner Allegedly Says: Don’t Bring Magic, Other Blacks To Games"

• WASHINGTON POST Sports front header of Jason Reid column: "It May Be Go-Time For Sterling"

• ESPN.com Homepage: "Sterling’s Long Shadow." Subhead: "The Racist Comments Allegedly Made By Donald Sterling Would Fit In With His Ugly History"

• YAHOO.com Homepage: "Embarrassed NBA Must Clean Up Sterling Mess" Subhead: "The League’s Double Standard Has Been Evident In Its Failure To Deal With Clippers Boss Donald Sterling"

Capitals VP & GM George McPhee yesterday morning was told by Owner Ted Leonsis and President & COO Dick Patrick that his contract "would not be renewed after 17 years" in the position. The Capitals also fired coach Adam Oates "with one year remaining on his contract." Leonsis and Patrick "made the shake-up after undergoing a nearly two-week examination of the team." Sources said that the duo "met with people from all corners of the organization -- players, scouts, medical and front office staff -- for feedback on the entire operation" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/27).

Former Grizzlies Owner Michael Heisley died yesterday at age 77 due to "complications from a massive stroke he suffered nearly 15 months ago." Heisley moved the team from Vancouver to Memphis in '01 and sold the franchise to Robert Pera in '12 (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 4/27). NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, "Michael was responsible for moving the Grizzlies from Vancouver to Memphis and really for getting [FedEx Forum] built. He was a longtime friend of the league. He was a wonderful owner" (THE DAILY).

Northwestern Univ. football players on Friday voted on whether they "want to be represented by the College Athletes Players Association, but it could be some time before the results are known." The ballots "were sealed inside a box that will be kept by" the NLRB until it "makes a final decision on whether the players are employees of the university." The voting "was supervised by three officers of the NLRB." A Northwestern player who voted said he is "80 percent sure" that the team will vote "no" to unionizing (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/26). To unionize, 39 of the team's 76 players "would have had to say yes" (ESPN.com, 4/26). Former NU LB Michael Odom said, "It seems like things are kind of leaning toward no" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/26).

Elsewhere:

• The CHICAGO TRIBUNE's Phil Rosenthal writes the NCAA reform movement and its "momentum continue to grow no matter what the ballots cast in Evanston tell us" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/27).
• The N.Y. TIMES' Steven Greenhouse looks at what the NLRB's original ruling means for public universities and "their scholarship athletes" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/27).

In advance of the '14 FIFA World Cup, Nike on Friday "introduced a soccer star-studded video, just a day after introducing a variety of soccer products" that the company will be pitching this summer. The four-minute video -- produced by Wieden + Kennedy, Portland -- "features some of the best-known names in Nike's stable of soccer players." Also on Friday, La Liga club Real Madrid MF Cristiano Ronaldo helped the company unveil the "latest version" of its Mercurial soccer cleat (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/26).

UFC President Dana White said that last night's UFC 172, headlined by Jon Jones' decision over Glover Teixeira, "set a record for the largest attendance for an event at Baltimore Arena at 13,485," and added that the $2.3M gate "ranked second in the building's 53-year history behind only a Rolling Stones concert." Baltimore "fully embraced" UFC's first visit to the city (Baltimore SUN, 4/27).

UFC Senior Dir of PR Dave Sholler said the organization will "absolutely" return to the city (Baltimore SUN, 4/27). White said, "We love going to new markets, and new markets are usually very successful for us, like this was. It was time." Meanwhile, Baltimore Arena GM Frank Remesch predicted that UFC 172 will generate $25-30M "for the area" (Baltimore SUN, 4/26).

Sources said that Tiger Woods "is targeting a return" at the British Open, which will be held July 17-20 at Royal Liverpool (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 4/25).

A1 header in the WALL STREET JOURNAL: "Clashes Over Power Threaten $35 Billion Ad Agency Merger." Subheader: "Executives From Omnicom, Publicis Said To Disagree On Future Roles."

A record-setting, estimated 84,000 people yesterday came out to Rutgers' annual "Rutgers Day" outdoor festival (AP, 4/26).

The Devils on Friday hosted their inaugural "Friends & Family Paint & Skate" at Prudential Center, with more than 600 fans taking part (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 4/27).

USL Pro club Sacramento Republic FC last night played their "festive home debut in front of a sellout crowd of more than 20,000 at Hughes Stadium" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 4/27).

A crowd of 5,145 yesterday took in the "first women's lacrosse game ever" played at Wrigley Field (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/27).

More than 28,000 people yesterday "ran in the 10th annual" Pat's Run, held in honor of late NFLer Pat Tillman (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/27).

"They've tried to hurt me with my bosses. They've called my bosses and said, 'Nobody wants to hear that guy whine about officiating.' They're pretty sensitive about that sort of stuff" – ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy, on how the NBA allegedly attempts to censor criticism of its officiating (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/27).

"It's just turning into a lovefest. It's almost like you can't get upset anymore" – Rays manager Joe Maddon, on how MLB's new instant replay rules have changed managers' interaction with umpires (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/27).

"Could do better. I was expecting Brooklyn to be real hostile, New York-style" – Nets F Kevin Garnett, on the home crowd at Barclays Center for Game 3 of the team's playoff series against the Raptors (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/27).

"I say hello, how you doing. Sometimes I don’t say anything because I don’t want one thing to lead to another" – Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, on how he deals with a CBA rule not allowing players and coaches to discuss football until the team's offseason program begins (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/27).

"Respect the masses because the masses are doing it right. And we’ll get the other things fixed" – 49ers GM Trent Baalke, on why he believes the few players who have had off-field issues this offseason are not representative of the team as a whole (SFGATE.com, 4/26).

The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER's Bob Fernandez examines the plight of Phillies fan Tootie Eutzy, who "lives in central Pennsylvania's baseball dead zone." MLB "considers her part of the Phillies' market -- as well as the Pirates', Orioles' and Nationals' markets." As such, she is "unable to watch baseball games she would like to watch because of exclusive territories and blackout rules." 

In a special to ESPNW, former golfer Dottie Pepper noted American female golfers are "rising in the world rankings quickly and are on their way to being back in a big-time way." Six Americans are in the top 15 and seven in the top 20, nearly back to '06 numbers. So, "how does this translate to better business opportunities for the LPGA overall -- more specifically in North America?"

ELSEWHERE: 

• This year's NBA Playoffs have been "an education for players, fans, referees."
• Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig's "serpentine" journey from Cuba to L.A. is "far from unique."
• How "Field of Dreams" 25 Years Ago "became an American masterpiece."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, tweeting for the first time since Sept. 5: "We always have our challenges but we are excited to meet and exceed them."

USA Today's Jeff Gluck: "IMO: NASCAR shouldn't penalize Mears or Ambrose. They're going to use that footage in promos and commercials, so don't pretend it's bad."

N.Y. Times' Andrew Das: "Forgot best news I heard at MLS today: Garber says he feels great, confident about cancer treatment. But bummed it'll cost him trip to WC."
 
AP Sports Editors' official account: "Selig, asked if he has a recommendation on next commish: 'Since I've done this job the last 23 years, I guess I have an opinion.'"

L.A. Times' Bill Plaschke: "Clipper locker room filled with the usual thumping rap music and men quietly stretching....men going to work...good for them."

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

Former Washington Post Sports Editor George Solomon and Nationals Managing Principal Owner Ted Lerner were scheduled to receive their DC Sports HOF plaques before Padres-Nationals.