Names In The News

Conte Receives Four Months Jail Time, Four Months Home Detention

After sentencing BALCO Founder VICTOR CONTE JR. to four months in prison and four months of home detention, U.S. District Court Judge SUSAN ILLSTON told Conte that his sentence “was far shorter than ones she handed out ‘every day for people who are convicted of far less serious things than what you have done.’” Trainer GREG ANDERSON will serve three months in jail and three months of house arrest. Both Anderson and Conte pleaded guilty to charges of steroid distribution and money laundering. BALCO VP JAMES VALENTE was sentenced to three years of probation on steroid-distribution charges. Conte “conceded he was now the ‘poster child’” for steroids, and said that this made him — “uniquely and ironically –- qualified to help rid the athletic world of them” (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 10/19).

HOOP DREAMS: NBA Wizards C ETAN THOMAS recently had a book of poems called “MORE THAN AN ATHLETE” published by Moore Black Press. Thomas: “I feel a necessity to speak out. I want to be the type of athlete that MUHAMMAD ALI was. Dealing straightforward with the issues of the day. There’s just too much going on for me to be quiet” (Ira Berkow, N.Y. TIMES, 10/19)....TIME’s Sean Gregory profiles Univ. of Tennessee women’s basketball player CANDACE PARKER. Basketball HOFer NANCY LIEBERMAN, on Parker: “Candace will be the next player to change the sport. In 10 to 15 years, there will be a lot of Candace Parkers. But right now there’s only one, and she’s going to set the bar high. Young girls will strive to be her” (TIME, 10/24 issue)....Fox has commissioned the production of “BASKETBALL WIVES,” an hour-long drama set in Atlanta “revolving around the lives of women romantically involved with pro hoops players.” The show will be written by AYANNA FLOYD and exec produced by DARREN STAR (DAILY VARIETY, 10/19).

SOLTYS HONORED: ESPN VP/Communications MIKE SOLTYS was honored as the Media Relations Professional of the Year by PR News at the PR People Awards luncheon Monday in N.Y. Soltys was recognized for his efforts spearheading the communications team’s 25th anniversary campaign (THE DAILY).

NAMES: Poker player CHRIS MONEYMAKER is joining NASCAR Nextel Cup driver JEFF GORDON to promote an upcoming series of tournaments to benefit the JEFF GORDON FOUNDATION. Harrah’s designated the foundation as the official charity of the ’06 World Series of Poker. Moneymaker won the ’03 event (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 10/19)....U.S. ROWING is moving its HQs from Indianapolis to Mercer County, New Jersey, to consolidate with the national team training center, leaving Indianapolis with only the NGBs for track & field, gymnastics, diving and synchronized swimming (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 10/19).

PASSING: Longtime A’s announcer BILL KING died yesterday at the age of 78 after suffering complications from hip surgery (A’s).