Today marks MLB Opening Day, and Cardinals-Pirates is the first of seven games being televised on ESPN or ESPN2 over today and tomorrow. That game will be followed by Blue Jays-Rays before a rematch of last year's Mets-Royals World Series tonight. ESPN Dir of Content, Strategy & Acquisitions Dan Ochs said, "It's huge for us. This is really a unique opportunity for us. We have all 10 2015 postseason clubs on our air" over the two days. ESPN has "had a single-game Sunday night season opener before, but never a tripleheader" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 4/1). The Albany TIMES UNION's Pete Dougherty wrote MLB deserves "kudos" for "capitalizing on what otherwise is a slow sports day" (Albany TIMES UNION, 4/1).

The Red Sox "swept a two-game pre-season series" against the Blue Jays at Olympic Stadium in Montreal this weekend. A crowd of 53,420 attended yesterday's game, while 52,682 turned out for Friday's game. It is the third year the Blue Jays have "ended the pre-season with a pair of games" at the ballpark (CP, 4/2). Baseball HOFer and former Expo Pedro Martinez on Friday said, "I hope tonight is a statement that Montreal is a baseball city ... Whatever we can do to bring baseball back to Montreal, we need to do it. And we need to do it now" (BOSTON HERALD, 4/2).

Viewership for yesterday's Final Four dropped sharply as the semifinals saw historically non-competitive games. Last night’s North Carolina-Syracuse Final Four matchup drew an average of 12.9 million viewers in the late window on TBS, TNT and truTV, down 42.9% from Wisconsin-Kentucky in ’15. Villanova-Oklahoma averaged 10.5 million in the early window, down 31.4% from Duke-Michigan State last year. The games, despite being just the third time in 50 years both semifinals were decided by at least 15 points, were the fourth- and sixth-most viewed college basketball games on cable TV. Turner also won the night across cable and broadcast TV.

There were 75,505 fans in attendance for yesterday's Final Four games between Villanova-Oklahoma and North Carolina-Syracuse at NRG Stadium. The record for a Saturday at the Final Four is 79,444 set at AT&T Stadium in '14. NRG Stadium at the '11 Final Four had 75,421 fans attend on that Saturday (CHRON.com, 4/2). Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, were in attendance for yesterday's games. Biden graduated from law school at Syracuse, while Jill graduated from Villanova (USATODAY.com, 4/3).

A source said that Facebook has "withdrawn from the bidding" to live-stream NFL Thursday Night games. The source said that Facebook "likes its live videos to be commercial-free and balked at the NFL's traditional advertising model," adding that the early morning London games that come with the deal "were also a turn-off." Verizon, Yahoo and Amazon are "considered contenders for the rights" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/1).

UCLA has "not renewed its contract" with adidas on a new apparel deal, as the exclusive negotiating period which ended today failed to yield an agreement. This does "not mean UCLA will not" renew with adidas, but it allows the school to "open up bidding" to other apparel companies. With adidas, Nike and Under Armour all expected to compete for UCLA's apparel contract, it "should bring in more money over the long-term" to its athletic department. UCLA supporters are "fed up with the poor job that adidas appears to do creating" uniforms, while others are "tired of the disappointing marketing" (BRUINSNATION.com, 4/3).

NBCSN yesterday debuted new EPL spots that use a British butcher to demonstrate the league's relegation system. Butcher Gary Chadwick in the spots explains and demonstrates how only the finest is selected for the EPL. The end of the spots will be tagged with matches from the top of the table and the bottom. The 60-second spot debuts today on NBCSN, while the 30-second spot ran during the NBC's weekend EPL, golf and NHL coverage. These spots will run for at least the next two weekends (NBC).

LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan and Golf Channel "couldn't come up with anything better" as the stage for the final round of the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, Calif., is "set for a sizzling Sunday after a Saturday that was none too shabby." Lexi Thompson leads the field after three rounds with Lydia Ko one stroke back and Charley Hull and Michelle Wie two strokes behind her  (GOLFDIGEST.com, 4/2). The event's leaderboard is "a dream" for a tour that "just keeps rising" (GOLFWEEK.com, 4/2).

Retired USWNT player Abby Wambach this morning "was arrested" and charged with a misdemeanor DUI in Portland, Ore. The leading career scorer in int'l soccer, Wambach in October "announced her retirement" (ESPN.com, 4/3). On her Facebook page, Wambach wrote, "This is all on me. I promise that I will do whatever it takes to ensure that my horrible mistake is never repeated. I am so sorry to my family, friends, fans and those that look to follow a better example" (FACEBOOK.com, 4/3).

Wambach has such authority talking about the future of women's game, arrest for DUII potentially impacts ability to have that conversation.

— Jane McManus (@janesports) April 3, 2016

The Verizon IndyCar Series' Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix yesterday "attracted a crowd estimated just shy of 20,000." It was "successful enough to all-but ensure the series will be back" in '17. However, it will likely move "to late April" because the NCAA men's basketball Final Four will be at Univ. of Phoenix Stadium early in the month, and Easter is on April 16 (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/3).

Today the "Heroic Four" will be determined in an e-sports tournament, "Heroes of the Dorm" hosted by Blizzard Entertainment. For a second year, teams representing colleges from across the U.S. are playing for "more than $500,000 in scholarships and prizes, including a free ride through school for the winning team." The event can be watched online on ESPN, Twitch and YouTube. Fans can "even join tournament pools, where the winner with the most accurate bracket snags $10,000" (USATODAY.com, 3/28).

The N.Y. TIMES MAGAZINE's cover story features Warriors co-Owner Joe Lacob, his fellow venture capitalist partners and their role in the team's success (N.Y. TIMES, 4/3).

Overstock.com informed the A's and the Coliseum that the company is opting out of its naming stadium rights (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 4/2).

The Browns want to keep their plans for a bronze statue of Pro Football HOFer Jim Brown a secret until the team unveils the statue in September. Cleveland's planning commission on Friday approved plans for the statue's location. The plan was described in a slide presentation made by team representatives (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 4/2).

Former Michigan G Caris LeVert signed with Jay-Z's agency Roc Nation Sports. LeVert is expected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick in the NBA draft despite missing much of the past two seasons due to foot injuries (DETROIT NEWS, 4/2).

The NLL Edmonton Rush home game against the Calgary Roughnecks drew a sellout crowd of 14,941 at SaskTel Centre yesterday. It was the second-largest crowd ever for a sporting event in the arena in the past 25 years (THE DAILY). 

The Empire State Building will celebrate Opening Day by illuminating its tower lights in a rotating display of the 30 MLB teams' colors tonight (THE DAILY). 

"Anything I can do to help others. It seemed like a reasonable thing to do" – NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., on donating his brain for concussion research (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/2).

"If my son wants to play, it will be his decision. But I'm definitely going to make sure he doesn't play until he's, maybe, 12 years old. I started at 6, and I'm definitely not going to allow him to play at that age" – Titans LB Wesley Woodyard, on his approach to letting his son play football (ESPN.com, 4/2).

"I'm not saying I'm going to fight or saying I'm not. I'm not closing the door. I'm thinking about it" – Boxer Manny Pacquiao, who is considering boxing at the Rio Games (AP, 4/1).

"She's in a great place mentally, physically, emotionally; every way you can be good, she's good. And she's talking about coming back at the end of this year" – UFC President Dana White, on the return of fighter Ronda Rousey (TMZ.com, 4/2).

FiveThirtyEight's Christie Aschwanden wrote the NFL's "shoddy science means we know even less about concussions" than originally thought. The N.Y. Times report on the NFL's flawed concussion research shows there is "still so much we don't know."  To "draw scientific conclusions about the risks associated with head trauma," the "lingering uncertainties" need to be acknowledged. Also, USA Today's Jarrett Bell imagines the "impact on the NFL" when the "day comes that there's a definitive test to diagnose" CTE in the living.

Tampa Bay Baseball Market's Michael Loritz sat down for a Q&A with Rays Chief Business Officer Jeff Cogen, who touched on a range of topics, including the team's recent trip to Cuba. Cogen, who used to work for the Predators, said there "are a lot of parallels" between the MLB and NHL. Cogen added, "I love selling a winner. If we are not, it is not an excuse to not do what we need to do."

Elsewhere:

• Looking at the best and worst moments of PNC Park's 15 years.
• The Mariners' Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais share team's vision.
• Former NFLer Alan Page recently retired from the Minnesota State Supreme Court.
• Is drone racing the "sport of the future?"
• The man behind former NFLer Brian Urlacher's "marketing coup."

Even when it's not my team, @MLB opening day player introductions get me pumped up.

— Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) April 3, 2016

ESPN MLB is using the same song #WrestleMania is using. Don't cross the streams!!

— gus ramsey (@GusRamsey) April 3, 2016

Congrats @HoopsWeiss for making it from the Astrodome in '71 to NRG in '16.

— Malcolm Moran (@malcolm_moran) April 2, 2016

MLB schedule makers are imbeciles. Only three #OpeningDay games? Here's a thought: EVERY TEAM PLAYS. Not advanced calculus. Get it right.

— Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) April 3, 2016

I don't watch a lot of golf on tv, but my kids and me are glued to @drivechipputt. Amazing to see them so focused and having so much fun.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 3, 2016

"When I retire in 2035, I want to be an announcer for one year" so I can be the only announcer never to criticize coaches. Roy Williams

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 3, 2016

MLB Network celebrates Opening Day with this video, with the words written by analyst Tom Verducci and narrated by actor Jeff Daniels. The net tomorrow will broadcast 17 straight hours  of live coverage beginning at 9:00am ET.