Fox Sports is set to ramp up attention around EPL Relegation Sunday, the league’s final day of the season, and today will announce plans for coverage of nine games under the "Survival Sunday" banner. All 10 EPL matches will be carried live in the U.S. on May 13. Fox will carrying its nine contests on its cable channels and broadband sites, including FX, Speed, FSN, Fuel TV, Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Deportes, FoxSoccer.com and FOX Soccer 2Go. ESPN will carry the other match. The networks have not decided the games each network will carry.

The Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District Board of Commissioners unanimously approved terms of the Hornets' new long-term lease at New Orleans Arena. The amended agreement, which runs through '24, "will now move to the legislature for approval." Legislative leaders "have already publicly expressed support of the new deal, which would relieve the state from the burden of giving the Hornets any financial subsidies" and "shift the responsibility of generating additional revenue to the Hornets." There are "no escape clauses" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 4/19).

The MLS Timbers today will formally unveil their new practice facility after giving media a "sneak peak" at the $6M, 6,000-square-foot venue yesterday. The facility features "two full size soccer fields – a grass field designated for exclusive use by the Timbers and a second artificial turf field that will be used by the public." The dimensions of each field are the same as Jeld-Wen Field. Reps of the team, adidas, Tulatan Hills Park & Recreation District and city of Beaverton, Ore., are expected to attend today's opening event (OREGONLIVE.com, 4/18). Watch a video tour of the practice facility.

The Red Sox are ramping up promotion for tomorrow's celebration of Fenway Park's 100th anniversary, coinciding with a game against the Yankees. The team sent crews around Boston yesterday "distributing 100 ticket-filled balloons" at city landmarks with notes reading "Pop me." Five balloons contained pairs of tickets to tomorrow's game, while others "held tickets for games later in the season" (BOSTON HERALD, 4/19). 

The Red Sox today are hosting a free Open House from 9:00am-7:00pm ET. Fans "may enter any gate" at Fenway and "view historical artifacts, memorabilia, and new displays, or just tour the ballpark" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/19). WEEI-AM/FM's "Mut & Merloni" will broadcast live from the Open House from 10:00am-2:00pm ET. MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk,” hosted by Kevin Millar and Chris Rose, will air live from Fenway tonight at 5:00pm ET (THE DAILY).

The arbitration hearing between the NFL and the Cowboys and Redskins on the "salary-cap penalties levied against the teams" has been set for May 10 before arbitrator Stephen Burbank. The site of the hearing "is up to Burbank, who is expected to hold it in Philadelphia." The Redskins are appealing $36M in cap space docked by the league, and the Cowboys are appealing a "similar cap-space penalty" of $10M. Motions "must be filed before the hearing" (NFL.com, 4/18).

Hillsborough County Commissioners yesterday voted 6-1 to ask Interim County Attorney Don Odom to review the contract that governs the Rays' "commitment to the city of St. Petersburg and Tropicana Field." The commissioners want to know if "they can talk to team owners about how long they intend to keep playing there and to see what can be done to ensure the Rays stay in the region." Local officials face potential legal challenges if they seek to question the Rays about the team's future plans (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/19).

The "smallest Mariners home crowd in Safeco Field history" attended last night's game against the Indians. Attendance was 11,343; the previous low was 11,701 for a game last May against the Orioles (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/19).

A Force India F1 team vehicle was "briefly delayed by a firebomb on its way to the hotel from the Bahrain Grand Prix circuit." No one in the vehicle, which was carrying four team members, was injured (AP, 4/19).

The CFL has announced that "all scoring plays will be reviewed by video" from a centralized command center. The plays will be "reviewed without either team challenging the scoring play" (TORONTO STAR, 4/19).

Paciolan has renewed its 20-year partnership with East Carolina Univ. (Paciolan).

"You must've forgot – I was in Charlotte for like seven years, and the first three years, every team we played it felt like we were in their city, so that's not a big thing" – Nets F Gerald Wallace, on Knicks fans dominating the crowd at last night's Knicks-Nets game at the Prudential Center (N.Y. POST, 4/19).

"Wrigley is awesome. I love it, and everyone here loves playing there. But there are seats behind poles, and I know I wouldn't want to sit in any of those" – Cubs 1B Jeff Baker, on many players being in favor of Wrigley Field being renovated (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/19).

"This is like people complaining about the rain at Woodstock. Yes, there was lots of mud, but it was the greatest music gathering in history" – Maple Leafs President & GM Brian Burke, on the reaction from fans and the media to violent hits during the NHL Playoffs (USA TODAY, 4/19).

“If he is going to take this team to the third Super Bowl, man the NFL is not making it easy” – ESPN’s Cris Carter, on the Broncos' tough '12 regular-season schedule with new QB Peyton Manning (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 4/18).

Official Twitter feed of Washington Post Sports: "Office chatter: Nats reported attendance 14,520 tonight, Wizards 14,141 and D.C. United 10,135, for a total crowd of 38,796 at three games."

UPS Dir of Sponsorships & Events J.W. Cannon: "$1K mint juleps for charity at the #KentuckyDerby. Good cause, but those things are nasty."

Pembroke Communications/Publicis Social Media Manager Nigel Taylor: "50 days to go to Euro12 so only about 30 days before the usual players' comments about the flight of the official match ball, its weight etc."

Cal AD Sandy Barbour: "Coming this am! RT @NorCalScott: @gobearsad, I hope U plan a reply to the @wsj hackjob by @Bachscore."

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

Always outspoken Steelers LB James Harrison saw this version of the team's throwback jerseys and tweeted, "There's a reason these jerseys were from 1932..... it's 2012 now though, so send them back!!! lol."

Video game publisher THQ has estimated that revenue for the quarter ending March 31 will likely come in between $160-170M, "up from the company's previous outlook" of $130-150M in part due to strong sales of "Saints Row: The Third" and "UFC: Undisputed 3" games. THQ's stock price rose 46% to $0.66 following the news (LATIMES.com, 4/18).

The 49ers will break ground on their new $1.02B stadium in Santa Clara.

The Univ. of Alabama football team will be honored during a South Lawn ceremony at the White House for winning the BCS National Championship last year.

A Dodgers exhibit is slated to open at Brooklyn College. Items on display will include the original 1912 blueprints for Ebbets Field.

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “1920s Novels.”

“This title guy says, ‘Do you guys believe in my innocence, in the fiendishness of my accusers? Reassure me with a hallelujah!’”

Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart discussed the government investigation into Google obtaining users' personal data. Stewart: “Google, I am shocked. You stole people’s personal information without their permission. That is Facebook’s job. The FCC investigated these shenanigans and that’s when (EXPLETIVE) got real.” Stewart said Google was fined $25,000 for refusing to cooperate in the investigation and added, “That’s nothing for Google. Google makes $25,000 in the amount of time it took me to say the words twenty-five thousand dollars. They won’t cooperate with an investigation about the inadvertent or not collecting of citizens’ personal data and the fine is less than what you would get for a particular flashy NFL touchdown dance. By the way, we would show you footage of someone doing an NFL touchdown dance but the NFL would charge us more than $25,000 to do that. Why don’t we just have the NFL run these inquiries?” (“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central, 4/18).

“Who is Elmer Gantry?”