Former Univ. of FL (UF) LB JOHNNY RUTLEDGE says in an
affidavit that he "received monthly cash payments of $200 to
$1,000 from ALFRED TWITTY," an employee of TANK BLACK, during
his final two years at UF. Rutledge says that the payments
"were given with the expectation that he would sign with
Black upon entering the NFL" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/26
issue)....Yesterday's BASEBALL HALL OF FAME ceremony in
Cooperstown "drew a record crowd" of 50,000 people
(WASHINGTON POST, 7/26)....Supporters of Democratic
Presidential candidate BILL BRADLEY have "approached" MSG
execs about holding a "major political event" at the facility
and MICHAEL JORDAN "may show up" in support of Bradley (N.Y.
DAILY NEWS, 7/25)....IOC VP KEVAN GOSPER is "reasonably
confident of taking over" the IOC's presidency once current
President JUAN ANTONIO SAMARANCH retires. Gosper: "I
wouldn't go in for anything unless I felt reasonably
confident" (Melbourne AGE, 7/26)....Mired in "stalled"
contract talks with the Flyers, LW CRAIG BERUBE has dropped
his agent LARRY RAUCH and replaced him with STEVE MOUNTAIN
(PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 7/24)....SMI Chair BRUTON SMITH was
listed among the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER's top 100 paid execs in
the Carolinas, based on pay and performance. Smith earned a
'98 salary of $350,000 and a bonus of $1.092M, bringing his
total compensation to $1.442M (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/25).
