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MAVERICKS SEASON-TICKET HOLDER GIVING UP SEATS FOR SOLDIERS

USA TODAY reported that Mavericks season-ticket holder Neal Hawks has organized “Seats for Soldiers” for Saturday’s Hawks-Mavericks game at American Airlines Center, where roughly 140 military personnel recovering from injuries will get front-row seats free of charge. Forty-seven season-ticket holders have donated front-row seats, and American Airlines is flying a group from the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio to the game. The soldiers will meet with Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban, as well as with players and coaches (USA TODAY, 12/15).

GAY & LESBIAN ADVOCACY GROUP REACHES DEAL WITH FOOT LOCKER

The AP reported that gay and lesbian legal advocacy group Lambda Legal has “reached a settlement with Foot Locker Inc. on behalf of” Kevin Dunbar, a “former employee who said he was harassed by supervisors and co-workers.” Under the settlement, Foot Locker will “train its managers and employees on harassment issues and about support and services for workers who feel they have been harassed. The company also will provide a monetary settlement” to Dunbar (AP, 12/16).

TERRELL OWENS & RICKY WILLIAMS SITTING DOWN FOR CBS SHOWS

Eagles WR Terrell Owens will appear on CBS’ “Late Show” tonight with David Letterman, and the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports that Owens was “so entertaining that the third scheduled guest was bumped and the Eagle’s interview lasted an extra segment.” Owens: "I think my face has been across the nation on everybody's TV since I've been [in Philadelphia[, and it seems like the last couple of months my face has really been everywhere. I think people are starting to take notice" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 12/17).

Meanwhile, Ricky Williams Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes” will participate in his first TV interview since retiring from the NFL earlier this year. Williams, on why he retired: “The thing that I had the most trouble with was that after you fail your third [drug] test, then it becomes public knowledge. That’s one thing I couldn’t deal with at the time – people knowing that I smoke marijuana. That was my biggest fear in my whole entire life. I was scared to death of that.” A portion of the interview will first appear on "The NFL Today" (CBS).

BUZZER BEATERS

The Bobcats today announced plans to broadcast Saturday's game against the Rockets in HD. The team also plans to air the February 8 game against the Spurs in HD (Bobcats).

Kroenke Sports Enterprises and Landric Corp. are “planning to build a retail, entertainment and housing development adjacent to the Pepsi Center that could include a public ice-skating rink or recreation center” (DENVER POST, 12/17).

Capstone Development’s plan to build the sports-themed Field House Green Bay condominium complex just west of Lambeau Field has “reached an impasse as neighboring residents continue to oppose the size of the project” (Green Bay PRESS-GAZETTE, 12/17).

Manchester United’s themed café business in Asia is “delaying plans to expand in mainland China because costs are rising too fast.” Manchester United Food & Beverage has opened two Red Cafés in Chengdu, China, in the past year (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 12/17).

The BBC has hired Jimmy Connors as a commentator for its coverage of the second week of Wimbledon alongside John McEnroe. The Lawn Tennis Association also has hired Connors as a coaching consultant (TENNISWEEK.com, 12/17).

The IIHF today barred Canucks F Todd Bertuzzi from playing in Europe because of his sucker punch of Avalanche F Steve Moore (AP, 12/17).

Through the first month of NBA All-Star balloting, Rockets C Yao Ming leads all players with 881,223 votes.  Heat C Shaquille O’Neal is second with 854,930 votes, followed by T’Wolves F Kevin Garnett with 751,586, Rockets G Tracy McGrady with 680,373 and Lakers G Kobe Bryant with 673,665 (NBA).

The lineup card from Cardinals-Red Sox World Series Game Four yesterday sold for a site-record $165,000 during an auction of World Series memorabilia on MLB.com (MLB).

WEEKEND EVENTS

Saturday

As the MISL has postponed Saturday’s San Diego Sockers game at the Sports Arena, the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE reported that the team is “likely to require a $500,000 bailout and has left numerous bills unpaid” since Raj Kalra “bought the team in October. Kalra acknowledged he did not put up a $400,000 letter of credit when he bought the team – a normal safeguard for the league” (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 12/16).

The Mighty Ducks will give away a diamond pendant, courtesy of Jeweler’s Touch, during the AHL Edmonton Road Runners-Cincinnati Mighty Ducks game at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim. The diamond is valued at $5,000.

Sunday

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will play for Team Minnesota in the “Hockey Heroes for American Heroes” charity game at the Univ. of Minnesota’s Mariucci Arena. Proceeds will benefit the Herb Brooks Foundation, Shjon Podein Children’s Foundations and the Minnesota Military Foundation.

Sunday’s edition of Boston Globe Magazine will feature a special issue commemorating the Red Sox’ World Series championship.

CHANNEL SURFING

Friday

Red Sox Owner John Henry will appear on CNBC’s “Kudlow & Cramer” at 5:00pm ET.

ESPN will air Nuggets-Heat at 8:00pm ET and Suns-Sonics at 10:30pm.

ESPN2 will air NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship: James Madison-Montana at 8:00pm ET.

Eagles WR Terrell Owens will appear on CBS’ “Late Show” at 11:35pm ET.

Fox Sports’ Terry Bradshaw and football HOFer Franco Harris will appear on “BDSSP.”

Saturday

ESPN2 will air NCAA Division III Football Championship: Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX)-Linfield (OR) at 11:00am ET.

ABC will air the World Cup of Skating at 1:00pm ET.

ABC will air the PGA Tour Year End Special: One From The Heart at 3:00pm ET.

NBC will air Vans Freestyle Motocross Championship at 3:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship at 4:00pm ET.

NBA TV will air Pacers-Bulls at 8:30pm ET.

HBO will air boxing: Antonio Tarver-Glen Johnson at 9:00pm ET.

Sunday

ESPN will air PBA: Orange County Classic at 1:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air figure skating: Cup of Russia at 1:00pm ET.

ESPN will air the V Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic at 2:30pm ET.

ABC will air the final day of the Three-Tour Challenge at 4:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air NCAA women’s basketball: Florida-Baylor at 5:00pm ET.

NBA TV will air Magic-Heat at 6:00pm ET.

Former NFLer Ricky Williams will appear on CBS’ “60 Minutes” at 7:00pm ET.

THE DAILY STAT: IRL & NASCAR CRASHES AT SIMILAR RACETRACKS

USA TODAY noted that the IRL’s accident rate on the eight tracks it shared with NASCAR this year “was nearly identical. NASCAR, which runs about 1,600 more miles and fields nearly twice as many cars (43) a race as the IRL (22), averaged 1.5 accidents per 100 miles. The IRL averaged 1.1.” The following breaks down the crash rates per 100 miles by each track (USA TODAY, 12/16):

CRITICS WEIGH IN: “A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS” & “SPANGLISH”

In “Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events,” Jim Carrey stars as Count Olaf, the sinister caretaker of the Bauedelaire orphans, in the movie based on the popular children's books. Adam Sandler stars alongside Tea Leoni in “Spanglish” as parents whose lives are shaken up with the arrival of a Spanish-speaking housekeeper.

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