Names In The News

NASCAR Vice Chair BILL FRANCE JR. yesterday was “given the go-ahead for his release from a Daytona Beach hospital.” He was admitted on Wednesday for a virus (FOXSPORTS.com, 3/18). Meanwhile, in Daytona, Thomas Brown noted pay packages for the top five execs at Int’l Speedway Corp. rose 1-3.48% in ’06 even though ISC “claims to have a performance-based compensation system at least partly influenced by profit,” which was down 27%. As ISC Chair, France received $1,327,273 in salary, bonus, stock and other perks in ’06, an increase of 2% over ’05. CEO JAMES FRANCE earned $1,264,732, up 3.48%, and President LESA FRANCE KENNEDY was paid $922,910, up 1.6% (NEWS-JOURNAL, 3/17).

Vincent Inks Representation Deal With Drew Rosenhaus

INSIDE THE LINES: Free agent DB and NFLPA President TROY VINCENT has signed with agent DREW ROSENHAUS (Liz Mullen, SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/19). In Philadelphia, Ashley Fox wrote the move “stunned — and scared — many in the league who expect Vincent to follow [GENE] UPSHAW as head of the union.” If that occurs, Rosenhaus “will have an influential ally who only will bolster his standing as the most powerful agent in the NFL.” Vincent: “People shouldn’t be surprised, because Drew negotiates good contracts, if not the best contracts” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 3/18).

NANNY 911: A Montgomery County (MD) Circuit Court awarded JULIETTE MENDONCA $44,880 after it agreed that she “had not been compensated for overtime hours she had worked” as a nanny for Redskins Owner DAN SNYDER. Mendonca sued for $60,000 on top of the $162,000 she was paid by Snyder from April ’03-November ’04. Snyder did not testify, but his wife did (N.Y. TIMES, 3/18).

NAMES: JACKIE EARLE HALEY, who played Kelly Leak in “THE BAD NEWS BEARS,” will play a fan who wins a basketball-throwing contest in the upcoming movie “SEMI-PRO” starring WILL FERRELL (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/19)....Nextel Cup driver JUAN PABLO MONTOYA — in conjunction with NASCAR, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation — will film a PSA in English and Spanish for the "Click It or Ticket" campaign to promote seat belt safety (Chip Ganassi Racing)....The RED SOX will wear green caps and jerseys during a game against the Mariners on April 12 as part of plans to honor late Celtics coach and exec RED AUERBACH (Red Sox).

IN MEMORY: STAN DUKE, a former L.A. sportscaster and “one of the first blacks in local television news,” died last week at the age of 70 after suffering a heart attack. Duke’s career with what is now KCBS “ended after he shot his estranged wife’s lover to death” in ’71 (L.A. TIMES, 3/17).