Jon Rahm yesterday won the Masters, becoming the "fourth golfer from Spain to capture a Green Jacket." Rahm shot a 3-under 69 in the fourth round and ended up winning by four over Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson. This marked Rahm’s fourth win on the PGA Tour this season already, and he will also "ascend to world No.1, again, when the rankings become official" today. The Masters "always has a way of delivering the fairy-tale storytelling and this year was no different." Rahm’s win occurred "40 years exactly after countryman and childhood hero Seve Ballesteros won his second Green Jacket, and on Ballesteros’ birthday" (SPORTSNET.ca, 4/9).

Whether "rain or shine or wind," Augusta National "proved to be a worthy, relevant test for the best players in the world." And the "greatest of them at the moment more than stood up to the challenge" (USA TODAY, 4/9). This Masters had a "little bit of everything -- hot and humid at the start, a cold front with wind that toppled three trees on Friday, putting surfaces saturated from rain on Saturday and a marathon finish Sunday as Rahm and Koepka went 30 holes" (AP, 4/10).

Rahm "rescued Augusta National from the ignominy of having to put a green jacket on" LIV Golf's Koepka. He also "saved Augusta National from the utter embarrassment of having to place another green jacket on the shoulders of the late-surging" Mickelson, in "many ways the epitome of the greedy, preposterous world of LIV Golf" (USA TODAY, 4/9). Whether the "green jackets like it or not, this Masters was a referendum on good and ... other." Also, "make no mistake about this: the green jackets are delighted with the outcome" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/9).

Longtime Pac-12 administrator Jamie Zaninovich is leaving the conference to join a Texas-based global communications agency, TrailRunner International, where he’ll work on sports and non-sports advisory business. Zaninovich, a Deputy Commissioner and COO at the Pac-12, has been a central figure in the league’s ongoing media rights negotiations and its analysis on expansion. Zaninovich told SBJ that he will remain with the conference through Friday. He also has agreed to consult with the Pac-12 on media rights and expansion decisions as part of his job with the agency.

Zaninovich will be Managing Dir at TrailRunner, whose clients include Spotify and Levi’s, among others, and cites strategic communications, financial communications and crisis communications as its specialties. He’ll specifically work on growing TrailRunner’s base of sports clients. Zaninovich first met TrailRunner Exec Chair and founder Jim Wilkinson when Wilkinson was at Alibaba and Zaninovich was at the Pac-12. Alibaba served as title sponsor of the Pac-12’s annual basketball games in China, which was part of the conference’s global initiative that Zaninovich oversaw.

Previously the commissioner of the West Coast Conference, Zaninovich, a member of SBJ’s Forty Under 40 class in 2010, joined the Pac-12 in 2014. He also spent time as a senior administrator at his alma mater, Stanford, as well as Princeton. At the Pac-12, Zaninovich worked for commissioners Larry Scott and George Kliavkoff, and spearheaded efforts to grow the Pac-12’s brand in China, while also developing Team Green, a first-of-its-kind sustainability platform for the conference, and several college basketball initiatives.

Zaninovich told SBJ: “It’s been an incredible experience. I started as a student in the Pac-12 in 1989, so I’ve been around this conference for a long time and this last decade has been an amazing time of change for college athletics. … Right now, I’ve just got a curiosity to try some other things and now feels like the right time.”

The Mavericks’ decision to "rest five players and curtail the playing time of Luka Doncic " for Friday night’s home loss to Bulls has "resulted in an NBA investigation." If the league finds that the Mavericks violated anti-tanking policies, the franchise "could face sanctions." It is "unclear what 'game conduct' the NBA might be reviewing," as "every indication was that all Mavericks on the court were playing to win." But apparently it was the "blatancy of Dallas’ actions that caught the NBA’s attention." The Mavericks’ 2023 first-round draft pick is "in the balance" because of the team's 2019 acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis from the Knicks. If the Mavericks draw a top-10 pick in the May 16 draft lottery, they "will keep the pick." But if the pick falls outside the top 10, it "will convey to New York" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/8).

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich yesterday "forcefully slammed 'cowardly, selfish legislators' for failing to enact stricter gun laws in the wake of school massacres he said have contributed to making the United States the 'laughingstock' of the world." Popovich finished his final pregame news conference of the season, a 26-minute session, with an "impassioned, 10-minute speech that included comments on how the school shootings in Uvalde and most recently Tennessee have affected him personally." Popovich asked whether politicians who "refuse to enact stricter gun laws ever imagine what it would be like to lose their 'nieces or nephews or grandkids' to gun violence." He "blamed the gun lobby for lawmaker’s inability to take action on guns" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 4/9).

Pistons coach Dwane Casey is "taking a new job after five years" in the role, though his "new path will keep him with the organization." Casey is "joining the Pistons’ front office." Pistons ownership "allowed Casey to pick his own destiny" after five seasons as coach, including an NBA-worst 17-65 record this season. Casey has a "close relationship" with owner Tom Gores and GM Troy Weaver, and that "mutual respect insulated Casey from the usual rules that dictate coaching changes." His win-loss record, "from their perspective, was unimportant," as he "helped the Pistons stay on course while weathering three developmental seasons" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/9).

Meanwhile, Rockets coach Stephen Silas is expected to be "dismissed after three seasons," after the team's season ended with a 22-60 record. Silas went 59-177 with the Rockets producing the "worst three-season stretch in franchise history." The Rockets "never expected to win this season and were not constructed with that as their primary goal." But the "disappointment about how they lost as much as how often became pervasive in the organization with a lack of progress in some areas and even regression in others" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/9).

UFC saw a gate of $11.943M and attendance of 19,032 for Saturday’s UFC 287 in Miami, where former President Donald Trump was among those in attendance. Israel Adesanya won the main event of the evening by knocking out Alex Pereira to win the middleweight title back at Kaseya Center. UFC says it was its sixth highest grossing event in its history and that it was No. 1 in the history of the venue, formerly known as FTX Arena, which quickly changed back to its NBA format by Sunday afternoon for the Heat’s season finale.

Meanwhile, longtime UFC sponsor Monster Energy debuted a new branding look Saturday. Monster typically has its claw logo in the center of the Octagon, but on Saturday it had the image of a full can, and the decal had lights that lit up in between fights. Monster Energy SVP Mitch Covington helped arrange the branding move and he was in attendance Saturday. Trump, no stranger to UFC events, was seen cageside sitting next to Dana White, Kid Rock and Mike Tyson.

A year after signing on as an MLB corporate sponsor, Dairy Queen has renewed with the league and is rolling out another round of ads featuring MLB All-Stars. The QSR’s new marketing campaign will include spots featuring Braves 2B Ozzie Albies, Rockies RF Kris Bryant, Twins CF Byron Buxton and Dodgers 1B Freddie Freeman. Bryant and Freeman will appear in TV and online video spots and social media promoting the brand’s Miracle Treat Day and Summer Blizzard Treat Menu, while Albies and Buxton are set to star in their own set of DQ creative to promote the new 85-cent Blizzard deal in the DQ App. DQ restaurants nationwide will offer Blizzard Treat and beverage cups with an MLB theme during the season, and MLB will host a series of DQ-branded sweepstakes that offer fans a chance to win a trip to the All-Star Game and World Series.

DQ also is sponsoring Little League International this year, with the QSR becoming the “Official Postgame Destination of Little League.” DQ will feature Little Leaguers in their May Summer Blizzard Treat Menu creative spots and cross-promote the new partnership across all their digital media channels.

State Farm returns for its 11th consecutive year as presenting partner of the WNBA Draft, which is set for tonight at Spring Studios in N.Y. As part of its activation, State Farm will run TV spots featuring Dallas Wings G Arike Ogunbowale. In addition, Jake from State Farm will attend the draft and walk the Orange Carpet. This season, State Farm will extend the Assist Tracker Program to the WNBA so that for each assist made during the regular season, All-Star Game and the postseason, State Farm will donate to a mutually agreed upon charity.

Among other sponsor activation planned:

• WNBA Changemaker and Official Bank U.S. Bank will host a financial literacy seminar on Wednesday at the WNBA offices in N.Y. for all first-round draftees.

• New Era will have a hat customization station on the WNBA Draft Media Circuit where draftees will pose with the cap of the team that drafted them for the first time soon after their selection.

Over 80 players will be considered for selection by the 12 WNBA teams, which will be choosing players across three rounds. ESPN’s exclusive coverage of the annual event begins tonight at 7pm ET (WNBA).

The controversy surrounding LSU F Angel Reese following her team's NCAA Tournament title was addressed on “SNL” this weekend when Reese, played by cast member Punkie Johnson, addressed her decision not to go to the White House to celebrate her team’s national championship. Reese said she didn’t want to go to the White House because “they invited Iowa too” who LSU defeated in the title game. Reese: “In the history of sports when you lose you take you ass home. But then white girls lose and suddenly it’s ‘All Teams Matter.’” But Reese noted she is a “big now” in college sports and with the NIL she is “about to cash in.” Reese: “My brand works for anything. How this sound: ‘Degree deodorant. Y’all stank!’ ‘Garden Gnomes: Man, get yo little ass out my face!’” Cast member Michael Che asked, “That’s a commercial for garden gnomes?” Reese: “Yeah, if the money right” ( “SNL,” NBC, 4/8).

• Tottenham names Scott Munn Chief Football Officer
  

• Brazil to levy 15% tax on sports betting firms
  

• European leagues differ on gambling sponsorships

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New Comcast Spectacor Chair Daniel Hilferty said that the Flyers "will not be sold." Conjecture has "surrounded a sale to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment," which owns and operates the Sixers, a move that would "see both teams move to a downtown arena" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/7).

The Warriors' “Gold Blooded” campaign from the 2022 postseason "will be brought back for the team’s 2023 playoff run" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/9).

"Air" grossed just under $14.5M for the three-day weekend and $20.2M for the five-days, "ahead of expectations." The film also opened in "numerous markets overseas," where it saw $10.5M from its "first 59 markets for a global start" of $30.7M (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 4/9).

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) "underwent surgery at Stamford Hospital Sunday after suffering a fracture Saturday during the parade celebrating the UConn men’s basketball team in downtown that drew an estimated 45,000 fans." A spokesperson for Blumenthal said that his upper femur injury occurred when "another parade goer tripped and fell onto the senator from behind" (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/9).

“Thank you green Masters jackets for making winners of the world’s most famous golf tournament look like they’re assistant managers at Subway” -- NBC’s Jimmy Fallon, on giving out his “Thank You Notes” ( “The Tonight Show,” NBC, 4/7).

The L.A. TIMES looks at the "exclusive vault" where the Masters green jackets are stored. Tucked away in the back of the Augusta National pro shop is an "unmarked wooden door," and "behind it is a staircase that used to lead to an underground storage room." Now, it is a "portal to an inner sanctum." The ultra-exclusive golf club has created a "secret space for green-jacket storytelling and tailoring that’s as richly appointed as a Savile Row clothier and has the high-tech touches of a Disney ride." When a new member joins the club, he or she "meets with club chairman Fred Ridley and a tailor in the vault and is fitted for a jacket." The already-tailored green jackets of the members are "stored in another location at the club." The jackets are "not supposed to leave the club." Only the current Masters champion can "take it home for his reign."

Also: 

• The Masters prize besides a green jacket.

• Fans need to savor the NASCAR magic show.

Friday night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Geography.”

“Of the 13 nations through which the equator passes, it’s the only one whose coastline borders the Caribbean Sea.”

“What is Colombia?”