The Bucks today announced that Owner Herb Kohl "has reached an agreement to sell the team" to Fortress Investment Group co-founder Wesley Edens and Avenue Capital Group Chair & CEO Marc Lasry for a purchase price of about $550M. Kohl "made keeping the team in Milwaukee a condition of the sale" (ESPN.com, 4/16). It "could not be immediately determined" if the NBA BOG, which meets tomorrow and Friday, "will take up the Bucks' sale" (JSONLINE.com, 4/16).

As part of the deal, Kohl pledged a $100M gift for the development of a new arena in Milwaukee, while the new owners have committed to contribute at least an additional $100M towards a new venue (Bucks). The sale price "was well beyond the reach of prospective local investors." But a source said that it is "possible local investors might hold a small percentage of the team," similar to Mark Attanasio’s arrangement with local Brewers stakeholders (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/16).

Nationals LF Bryce Harper stars in a new ad for Gatorade's Fierce line of drinks. In the "Face Off" spot that broke digitally today, Harper "intensely stares down" a Marlins pitcher then "crushes the cover off a ball." The ball then "morphs into a glowing red orb of Harper's screaming aura." The ad is set to Guns N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/16). YAHOO SPORTS' David Brown writes, "The special effects of the liquid Gatorade world are impressive, and the creators seem to have captured Harper's personality perfectly" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/16).

The NBA and network partners Turner and ESPN/ABC are rolling out a new playoff advertising strategy that has each partner running the other’s promotional spots. Turner’s playoff ad features Pharrell Williams and his “Come Get It Bae” single. ESPN’s spot has Pitbull performing his song “Timber.” For TNT's games airing on Thursdays and Saturdays, ESPN’s spots – promoting their games on the following days – will run on TNT. Similarly, for ESPN and ABC games on Fridays and Sundays, TNT’s spots promoting their games will air on ESPN/ABC. The cross-promotion begins on Saturday, the opening day of the playoffs. All are 30-second spots.

NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said, “It is a terrific way to raise awareness. As you look at the creative with two of the hottest artists in the industry today, it makes sense to extend that creative into each other’s networks.”

'47 Brand today announced the launch of "Let Your You Out," the apparel brand's new global platform and marketing campaign, activating around its long-term licensing deal with MLB. LIDS and MLB.com/shop are the retail partners for the initial campaign, which runs through May 5. Following the launch period, '47 will roll out the campaign across independent retailers, along with other event, social and digital avenues ('47 Brand).

The Astros report that last night's launch of their new app from MLB mobile partner Experience went well. Astros Senior Dir of Ticket Operations & Strategy Brooke Ellenberger said of the app, which provides fans the opportunity to upgrade their seats or purchase a fan experience, "We decided to roll it out to a small group of season-ticket holders last night to test the process from start to finish. We had 12 season-ticket holders participate, and the process went extremely well. They all loved it."

Ellenberger said the club will make a few tweaks based on feedback before offering the app to all season-ticket holders, then to all fans. Experiential upgrades that were offered included an in-game production tour, Mazda Club Level passes, seat upgrades for any of the current three-game set against the Royals, batting practice viewing and pregame tours for tonight or tomorrow. The Atlanta-based company is working with 16 MLB clubs.

Kentucky Speedway today announced a new title sponsor for its June 27 NASCAR Nationwide Series race, which will now be called the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign 300 presented by Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Kentucky HERO is "part of The HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers, a national campaign established by the family of Navy Ensign John R. Elliott," who was killed in a head-on collision by a drunk driver in July '00 (KENTUCKY.com, 4/16).

Longtime TV exec-turned-boxing-promoter Michael King is staging his first boxing card tonight at a 1,200-seat converted hangar near the Santa Monica airport. King, whose past projects include syndicating "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show," believes "fans and celebrities alike will be enthralled" by the matchups, even if the boxers "aren't famous in the U.S." King is also "confident he can build and sell a product that will attract lucrative broadcast deals" (AP, 4/15).

NBC Sports Group has collaborated with chef Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery on a "Puck Cake" to kick off NBC's coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. More than 6,500 of the cakes will be produced with the logos of the 16 playoff teams and are being distributed to athletes, celebrity hockey fans and social influencers in key U.S. markets (Christopher Botta, Staff Writer).

MasterCard has signed on as the "final main sponsor" of next year's Rugby World Cup in England. MasterCard also sponsored the '11 event in New Zealand (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/16).

Women In Sports & Events (WISE) today announced the four recipients of the '14 Women of Distinction Awards. Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman, ESPN Exec VP & CFO Christine Driessen, JPMorgan Chase Senior VP Barbara Paddock and former NCAA President Senior VP Judy Sweet will be honored at a June 17 luncheon in N.Y. (WISE).

"I just think they need a voice, wherever that voice is, somebody needs to be talking on their behalf. The NCAA can use your likeness for a lifetime. We have to do something for our student-athletes. We have to change" – UConn men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie, on the idea of unionization in college athletics ("CBS This Morning," 4/16).

"This is not going to be a five-year rebuild, not for me anyway. That's not what I want" – Sabres GM Tim Murray, on the team's rebuilding plan (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 4/16).

"Coaching is addicitve. Being involved with this is addictive. It was a little more time-consuming than I thought it would be, but it was never a chore" – Creighton Univ. AD Bruce Rasmussen, on his first year on the NCAA Men's Basketball Committee (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 4/16).

"The Dan Patrick Show" producer Paul Pabst: “Free snacks and late night meals. University of Colorado should have the #1 recruiting class in the nation.”

Former NFLer Jared Lorenzen: “I'll tell u what the NCAA really lucked out that I don't have any eligibility left.”

N.Y. Daily News’ Frank Isola: “You guys can stop telling me that Phil is not an idiot. I know that. He's a genius. He got the Knicks to give him $60 million not to coach.”

L.A. Times’ Matt Pearce: “One of baseball's biggest stars got linked to human traffickers, and the Dodgers are like, la-la-la, can't hear you!”

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

Dodgers fans will gather at Short Stop bar in L.A.'s Echo Park area at 6:00pm PT to voice their frustration or confusion over the team's TV coverage issues surrounding Time Warner Cable SportsNet LA.

In honor of Bill Belichick's 62nd birthday, the Patriots' online store today is offering a free "hoodie pin" with the purchase of a hooded sweatshirt (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/16).

Discovery Channel's digital outlet, DNews, offers a look at how certain biases play into poor calls by officials across the sports spectrum.

266,000 – Number of Big Macs potentially given away at Chicago-area McDonald's restaurants due to a promotion tied to the Bulls scoring 100 points in a home win. The number assumes "every one of the 19,000 coupon-holders claimed their Big Mac within 48 hours of this season's 14 winning 100-point home games." The McDonald's locations "aren't counting, however" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/15).