• Adidas Shares Soar As Q1 Results Beat Analyst Expectations
• Hawks Deny Report That Wes Wilcox Is On His Way Out As GM
• New NBA 2K Esports League Gets Commitments From 17 Teams
• Skechers To Sponsor Jockey Victor Espinoza In Kentucky Derby

Adidas shares rose to a record high today after the company reported a "bigger than expected increase" in Q1 sales and profits, "outpacing rival Nike in North America and China and growing fast online." Quarterly net profit rose 30% to US$496 million on sales up 19% to US$6.2B, "beating average analyst forecasts." Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted said that Q1 "had been helped by a shift in marketing spending to later" in '17. The company confirmed its '17 forecast for sales growth of 11-13% and "net income to rise by as much as a fifth" (REUTERS, 5/4).

The Hawks denied a report that the team and GM Wes Wilcox "have parted ways." When contacted, several members of the organization, "including high-ranking officials, were unaware of such a personnel move" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 5/4). The original report stated that the team is "expected to remove" Wilcox as GM. It was "not clear whether Wilcox will have another role with the team or won't return to the Hawks." Wilcox was "disciplined by the team earlier this season after making a racially charged joke at a season-ticket holders event, for which he apologized" (ESPN.com, 5/4).

Menwhile, Hawks Owner Tony Ressler is "seriously discussing" with President of Basketball Operations and coach Mike Budenholzer the "possibility of Budenholzer relinquishing his management title," according to sources. He "would continue as coach" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/3).

Seventeen NBA franchises have committed to fielding teams in the inaugural NBA 2K esports league set to launch in '18. Teams were asked to pay a buy-in fee in the low six figures to join the league, a joint venture of the NBA and Take Two Interactive, which publishes the 2K series. Teams will be operators, not owners. Brendan Donohue, the league’s newly named Managing Dir, said, “We were hoping for half the teams to jump on board, and we got more than that. There are still a lot of teams very interested in joining in upcoming years." There are notable absences at launch, including the Rockets, who in December named Sebastian Park the league’s first Dir of Esports Development, and both L.A. teams. L.A. is an epicenter of the esports industry in North America.

Skechers is sponsoring jockey Victor Espinoza in Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Esponoza will be riding recent Santa Anita Derby winner Gormley in the first leg of the Triple Crown, while wearing Skechers branding on his shirt and pants. Ben Sturner's Leverage Agency, N.Y., brokered the deal for Skechers. The shoe brand also sponsored California Chrome at the Belmont Stakes in '14, when that thoroughbred attempted unsuccessfully to win the Triple Crown. Espinoza, who has ridden three Kentucky Derby winners, is scheduled to do a photo shoot with new Skechers endorser David Ortiz on Friday.

The Mexican men's national soccer team has signed a multiyear sponsorship with both Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico, making them the official airline partners of the team. The global partnership will include assets around El Tri's games in Mexico and the U.S. as part of its annual tour. SUM, which has represented the team’s commercial rights for its U.S. tour for more than a decade, facilitated the deal. Delta expanded its joint venture with Aeromexico earlier this year, announcing plans to acquire up to 49% of Mexico's largest airline.

The Wells Fargo Championship teed off today at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, N.C., marking the city's "first PGA Tour event in 45 years." Charlotte's Quail Hollow "has hosted this week’s PGA Tour stop every year" since '03. But with that course hosting the PGA Championship in August, the Wells Fargo "needed a one-year home away from home." So far, Eagle Point "has been a big hit with the players" (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 5/4).

The Orchard Park (N.Y.) Town Board unanimously approved a local law that "places a moratorium on the expansion of parking facilities within a mile" of the Bills' New Era Field (BUFFALO NEWS, 5/4).

USL club Phoenix Rising FC has retained Goldman Sachs as the structuring agent for the financing of its proposed climate-controlled MLS stadium (Phoenix Rising FC).

The Dodgers last night retired Vin Scully's microphone and inducted him into the team's Ring of Honor. In a pregame ceremony, Baseball HOFers Tommy Lasorda and Sandy Koufax "unveiled Scully's blue and white circle." Scully was the "first addition to the ring" since the Dodgers retired Don Sutton's number in '98 (L.A. TIMES, 5/4).

All the feels. #VIN pic.twitter.com/qmlrls25GF

— MLB (@MLB) May 4, 2017

"I'd love to sit down with Jim. Not in front of cameras, not in front of anybody else, but just sharing an evening with him and truly say thank you and wish him the best of luck – not obviously when he plays Notre Dame – but for the rest of the season" – 49ers Owner Jed York, on Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, whom York and former GM Trent Baalke fired in December '14 (Mult., 5/3).

"We are proud to say that Detroit is the only city in North America that has all four of its major professional sports teams within four blocks of each other in a downtown core. And it would be great to make it five someday" – Ilitch Holdings President & CEO Chris Ilitch, on efforts to bring an MLS team to Detroit (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 5/4).

"Under the control of Bernie, F1 was a business that said no to everything. Now we want to say yes to many more things" – F1 Chair Chase Carey, on the difference between his regime and that of former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 5/3).

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE writes it is "hardly a secret" that Camden Yards "spawned a generation of deliberately quirky 'retro' parks." It is "less well-known" that the Orioles' home "influenced the renovations of Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, the very historic ballparks on which it was based."

USA TODAY: "The new NFL stadium in Las Vegas doesn’t yet have a name and isn’t expected to open until 2020. But when it does, at least one nickname certainly will apply: The House That Gambling Built."
 
Also:

• Does adding an MLS franchise make sense for Detroit?
• Sidney Crosby's concussion should be a "wake-up call" for NHL.
• Draymond Green says hecklers have called him N-word.
• Will Univ. of Texas' investment in flashy football lockers pay off?

Apple has so much cash on hand that it could buy every single NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL team and still have ~$100B left over.

— Jason Kottke (@jkottke) May 2, 2017

Watching Red Sox/Orioles reminds me of Killer Kowalski and wrestling on a black'n white TV on WMUR/9 in N.H., sponsored by Saladmaster

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) May 4, 2017

Tonight, the fantasy of Star Wars at Fenway, where lately reality has been tough to take.

— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) May 4, 2017

I like overtime hockey best when I'm not writing about it.

— Ann Killion (@annkillion) May 4, 2017

Wow 2 million followers!!! Thank you everyone for your support!! This is dope 😃🙌🏼

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) May 4, 2017

ESPN3 today at 1:30pm ET will add coverage of Tie Break Tens from Madrid. Tie Break Tens is quick-fire version of tennis with a pair of "knock-out" (traditional) tournaments. The format features 14 matches overall (seven men, seven women). All matches are played, and the champion crowned, in a single session of tennis that takes no more than three hours. Among the players participating today are Maria Sharapova, Stan Wawrinka, Madison Keys and Jack Sock.

A 3-minute hit on the stories you need to know ... Subscribe on iTunes ... Check out our podcast home.

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Movie Music.”

“Since 1999 many Warner Bros. movies open with the studio’s logo and a snippet of this song made famous in a 1942 film.”

This week's broadcasts of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” have featured guest hosts as regular host Jimmy Kimmel has taken time off to be with his family and newborn son. Actor Anthony Anderson was the guest host last night and said, “This is an exciting night for me because it's also a historic night for the medium of television. A black man hasn't hosted a late-night talk show for one night only since Magic Johnson” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 5/3).

NBC’s Jimmy Fallon said, “The NBA playoffs are under way, and the Golden State Warriors said that they’re a little disappointed that they have to play the Utah Jazz because there's no night life in Salt Lake City. Well, when Utah's tourism board heard that, they put out a commercial to show off the hot spots for people to visit in Utah.” The broadcast then aired the “commercial” with the narrator saying, “Hey folks. Salt Lake City is sitting pretty. Our night life is heating up like a hot potato. Check out all our nifty establishments, like Mitt's Milk Bar. Hooter's, Utah's premier owl conservatory and of course, Lady Luck’s, where the gals start with their clothes on and end up with their coats on! Remember, what happens in Salt Lake City is fine to tell everyone” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 5/3).

“What is ‘As Time Goes By?’” The song is from the film “Casablanca.”