Closing Bell

The Mavericks are holding a "nightlong party to celebrate" F Dirk Nowitzki 's 21st season around tonight's regular-season home finale against the Suns, and it "sounds a lot like a retirement party." The Mavericks are "planning surprises, mostly video tributes, throughout the game." Team Owner Mark Cuban "advises fans to arrive early and, above all, stay late." Fans are "encouraged to arrive and walk the blue carpet on Victory Plaza, listen to music, get their faces painted." Anyone attending the game "will receive limited edition Dirk T-shirts, a commemorative game ticket and a Dirk Build-A-Head." Also, the Dirkburger and Dirkwurst "have been brought back to concession stands" ( DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/9 ).

Also tonight, Heat G  Dwyane Wade  is expected to play his last game in Miami. See THE DAILY for more on that farewell .

Jostens unveiled details of the '18 World Series rings that the Red Sox received today at Fenway Park prior to their home opener. The rings boast 185 stones, representing the 162 regular season games, plus 14 postseason games, plus the Red Sox' nine World Series titles. For the first time in club history, Red Sox fans can purchase a limited edition “119” World Series Championship Ring for themselves. Only 119 of these exclusive rings will be produced, paying tribute to the historic number of wins achieved on the team’s path to the championship. The club also launched a sweepstakes giving fans a chance to win a ring by donating to the Red Sox Foundation ( THE DAILY ).

The Ohio Lottery Commission "would oversee sports betting" in the state under a new House bill introduced today. If the measure passes, state revenue from sports gambling "would be earmarked for K-12 education." The proposal "would levy a tax on businesses that provide sports gaming" and impose a 10% tax on all sports betting. It would also create an 11-member Sports Gaming Advisory Board to "recommend sports betting regulations" to the Lottery Commission. The Casino Control Commission "would have the authority to regulate and investigate those engaging in sports wagering" ( DISPATCH.com, 4/9 ).

MLB-owned Tickets.com has signed a multiyear deal to supply ticketing and venue technology to the Pro Football HOF. The deal includes a complete integration of Tickets.com’s ProVenue platform for museum membership and key ticketed events at Tom Benson HOF Stadium in Canton. The deal follows one Tickets.com recently signed with ISC , and it also advances the HOF’s ongoing expansion plans. 

Communications company Quebecor said that it will " follow through with its threat to scramble the signal of its TVA Sports channe l" for subscribers for competing TV service Bell. This will start tomorrow, coinciding with the start of the NHL playoffs. In order to watch those games, Bell TV’s French-language customers "would have to subscribe to Sportsnet, owned by Rogers Media, which holds the exclusive English rights to broadcast the playoffs in Canada." They can also watch CBC for "some playoff matches" or "move to another provider, including Videotron, another Quebecor subsidiary" ( CP, 4/9 ).

“Some creativity is going to be needed to make it appointment viewing. That is the key to get people to want to tune in. ... How do you get people motivated to watch football when it’s not football season?" -- Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio , on challenges facing the XFL ( “PFT,” NBCSN, 4/9 ).

"He learned that people just want to be in business with him, he learned that people will give him equity for having his name attached to projects and he's been smart not giving those away" -- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst , on LeBron James ' business acumen. Windhorst's new book, "LeBron, Inc.: The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete," hit bookshelves today ( “Power Lunch,” CNBC, 4/8 ).

Inter Miami today released these images showing its latest vision for the Miami Freedom Park MLS stadium project.

Retired soccer player Abby Wambach will appear on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" at 11:00pm ET.

The Atlantic's  Jemele Hill will appear on NBC's "Last Call With Carson Daly" at 1:35am ET.

47% -- Percentage of fans in a recent poll who rated the March Madness ads they have viewed online as "good," with 26% rating them as "acceptable" and 25% rating them as "very good." The poll surveyed 1,000 adult March Madness fans ( Arkadium ).