Bills co-Owner Terry Pegula today "fired" GM Doug Whaley "less than a day after" the NFL Draft, but he decided to keep the "reasons to himself." Pegula: "I don't want to discuss publicly why we made the decision. ... The reasons remain private to us, and Doug." Terry and Kim Pegula have now fired the GMs of "both of their professional teams 10 days apart." Terry Pegula: "We ran a process after the season ended and made the decision at this time" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 4/30). Both firings made by the Pegulas "were made with hopes of bringing credibility to two dysfunctional franchises, which have become national embarrassments" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 4/30).

The NFL Draft "proved to be a record-breaking success" as the NFL announced Saturday that "250,000 people attended this year’s draft on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, breaking an NFL draft-attendance record" (NBCPHILADELPHIA.com, 4/30). The old mark was 200,000, set in Chicago in '15. NFL Senior VP/Events Peter O’Reilly said that the fans’ "passion came across clearly, whether somebody was attending the draft or watching it on ESPN or the NFL Network." He said, "Philadelphia has been a fantastic host and in our eyes, the bar has been raised for what the draft is and can be" (PHILLY.com, 4/29).

The Browns drafted Florida DT Caleb Brantley in the sixth round of the NFL Draft yesterday even though he was "accused of simple battery this month." Shortly after drafting him, Browns Exec VP/Football Operations Sashi Brown said that the team "may release Brantley pending further investigation into the incident." Brown: "We communicated to Caleb that this is something that we're still investigating and looking into, and facts may turn up that prevent us from being able to keep him on our roster." Brown said that the team had "not talked to Brantley before drafting him and thus did not get his version of the story." Brown "declined to answer when asked if he had talked to Brantley's attorney" (ESPN.com, 4/29).

Bears first-round draft pick QB Mitchell Trubisky attended Celtics-Bulls Game 6 on Friday and "received a mixture of boos and cheers when he appeared on the video board." (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/30). The boos "started when the Bears' fight song started to play over the loudspeakers at the United Center" and a "picture of Trubisky from Thursday night's draft was shown on the big screen." Once fans "realized Trubisky was in the building, a few more fans started to cheer as he smiled and waved to the crowd" (ESPN.com, 4/29). It "likely didn't help the mood of the crowd that when Trubisky was introduced at halftime the Bulls were already trailing by 13 points and on their way to playoff elimination" (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 4/29).

Boxer Anthony Joshua yesterday won the WBA world heavyweight title with an "enthralling knockout win over Wladimir Klitschko" at Wembley Stadium in front of a "post-war record 90,000 fans." The fight was an "epic, living up to the hype, heavyweight boxing at its most captivating" (BBC.com, 4/29). Joshua won by knockout in the 11th round of the "epic slugfest." The bout "lived up to the massive hype that made it the biggest heavyweight fight since Lennox Lewis knocked out Mike Tyson to retain the world title" in '02 (ESPN.com, 4/29). The scene at the fight was "insane," and it was "arguably the most compelling heavyweight title fight since Evander Holyfield upset Tyson" in '96 in Las Vegas (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/29).

The bout "feels like a perfect storm of sorts" that "just might be what the heavyweight division has desperately needed for years" (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/30). Promoter Eddie Hearn has plans for Joshua to "light up new venues in China, the Middle East and Africa" (REUTERS, 4/30).

The WTA Tour today announced that Porsche will name the competition to reach the circuit’s season ending finals. What had been the race to Singapore is now called the “Porsche Race to Singapore.” Singapore is the site of the season ending championships, where the top singles and doubles player compete. The player who finishes the regular season as the No.1 player on the Porsche Race to Singapore leaderboard receives a new Porsche 911 GTS Cabriolet. Porsche is the owner and title sponsor of the event in Stuttgart, which ends today. Top WTA Player Maria Sharapova, who last week returned from a 15-month drug suspension, is an endorser of the car brand. The Porsche multiyear deal is the first major sponsorship struck under WTA CEO Steve Simon, who assumed his post in late '15.

IndyCar "almost certainly will be back" at Phoenix Int'l Raceway for the third consecutive year in '18, "likely in early April." Saturday night’s crowd was "roughly comparable to last year’s 18,500." That was "not profitable and the absence of noticeable improvement is a disappointment" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/30). Driver Simon Pagenaud won by more than nine seconds in "front of a crowd of about only 7,000 fans at the mile oval" (AP, 4/29).

The first concert held at the Braves' SunTrust Park "prompted mixed reactions," as those who arrived hours early to see Billy Joel on Friday were "greeted by impossible lines at all of the restaurants in The Battery." Fans who skipped the restaurants "headed inside" the ballpark to "more lines." By the time Joel "took the stage shortly after" 9:00pm ET, "two commodities, hot dogs and bottled water, were absent from the 100 level and field seats." However, the "sound was strikingly clean from various vantage points, including the 300 and 400 levels" (AJC.com, 4/29).

Rostraver Ice Garden in Belle Vernon, Pa., yesterday was named "Hockeyville USA 2017" after a national contest, and the award "carries $150,000 in arena upgrades." The designation, the "culmination of weeks of online voting," led Kraft Heinz, the NHL and the NHLPA to "bestow the title on the local arena for hosting the most passionate hockey community in America." In addition, the win "also qualifies the local arena to host a televised NHL pre-season" Blues-Penguins game on NBCSN. Contest officials said that the Rostraver Ice Garden was "one of the more than 1,300 communities ... that submitted stories demonstrating their community's passion for hockey" (TRIBLIVE.com, 4/29).

The Bills announced Friday that ticket prices for home games "would fluctuate based on demand" during the '17 season "under a new pricing model." Prices for individual games at New Era Field "will be categorized into five tiers ... based on the Bills' opponent and time of the year" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 4/28).

The Pistons on Friday "submitted bids to bring the NBA All-Star Game to Little Caesars Arena" in '20 and '21. It is "not clear when a successful bid would be announced" (FREEP.com, 4/28).

The ARIZONA REPUBLIC's Paola Boivin wrote her last column for the newspaper. Boivin in January announced she is leaving to "work full time" at Arizona State's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/30).

FIFA Council member Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait is "resigning from his soccer roles under pressure from allegations in an American federal court that he bribed Asian officials" (AP, 4/30).

Bleacher Report set a new daily traffic record on Friday for its coverage of the NFL Draft, getting eight million unique visitors. Bleacher Report also saw a 41% increase in unique visitors for the first two days of the NFL Draft over its coverage last year (Turner).

“Understand that the digital age is well within the present and the future. We’re very focused on that. We’re very focused on social (media), we’re very focused on getting young fans. And by the way … we’re not isolated here. Every sport is trying to unlock the new consumption levels and fan interest by a younger demographic” – NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France, on growing the sport's fan base (FOXSPORTS.com, 4/30).

"It's a bad-lit Little League field. I can't see anything here" – Braves 1B Freddie Freeman, on why he doesn't like hitting at Miller Park (AJC.com, 4/29).

"The Devils haven't won something in a long time. I think this is fantastic for our fan base, our owners" – Devils GM Ray Shero, on the franchise winning the '17 NHL Draft Lottery (NJ.com, 4/30).

"With my involvement in the men's search committee, I felt like we had access to all the information and all the resources needed to conduct the thorough search we did" – Univ. of New Mexico AD Paul Krebs, on the school's recent men's basketball coaching search (ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL, 4/29).

"I don't know whether it's because I finally got to tell everybody and let everybody know what we're doing, get that over with, but I certainly felt real relaxed today in the garage during practice" – Dale Earnhardt Jr., on announcing his retirement earlier this week (AP, 4/29).

"I hear, 'Mr. Ross, I love you on Dancing with the Stars.' Or 'Mr. Ross, we loved your dance.' I say, 'What? I won two World Series people, in two of the biggest markets, and I'm talking about dancing!" – Former MLBer David Ross (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/30).

"Everybody keeps asking me, 'You signed a five-year deal?' I signed a five-year deal because you have to sign a deal. I would have signed a 55-year deal" – UFC President Dana White, on not walking away from the MMA promotion after it was purchased by WME-IMG (MMAWEEKLY.com, 4/29).

@raju @NFL Philly is amazing. @NFL fans are the BEST. @nflcommish embraced the ferociously fun boo'ing. @espn ratings ⬆️ and @nytimes hot take is... pic.twitter.com/4pBlvvnC0k

— Natalie Ravitz (@NFLNatalie) April 29, 2017

Brian France on how Monster has done so far as series sponsor: "In one word, 'Great.'"

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) April 30, 2017

Stuck in the car for next 90 mins listening to @SeanGrandePBP work his play by play magic on @tunein - there's nobody better.

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) April 30, 2017

Ex #Bills GM Doug Whaley privately listed his house in Orchard Park for sale at the end of last week. PRIOR TO THE DRAFT, Interesting timing

— Josh Reed (@4JoshReed) April 30, 2017

TNT's Charles Barkley and Jack Links Beef Jerky mascot Sasquatch are playing a game of H-O-R-S-E, but the net's Kevin Garnett has other plans.

The N.Y. TIMES goes with the header, "Misgivings Diminish The Mighty NFL's Swagger." The league will not "fall from its perch any time soon, though its growth may slow." It will also continue to "turn the Draft into a moneymaking roadshow by moving it to new cities every so often." However, amid the "jubilation" of this year's Draft was a "sense that storm clouds are gathering." 

TULSA WORLD writes about what Bengals draftee Joe Mixon and the team can "take from Tyreek Hill's first year" in K.C. Last year the Chiefs selected Hill in the fifth round despite Hill being charged with domestic assault in '14. After being drafted, Hill "stayed clean off the field." The team, without "specifying terms of Hill's probation or punishment, spoke well of his behavior." 

Elsewhere:

• Nebraska's Eichorst has become a national star.
• Former Dodgers officials recall L.A. riots in '92.
• Soccer teams "change logos at their peril."