Names In The News

In Seattle, Bud Withers reports with Pac-10 Commissioner TOM HANSEN leaving his post in June '09, "early speculation has the fingerprints of former Stanford [AD] TED LELAND all over this job." Leland has "Pac-10-wide respect as high as the presidential level," but the "buzz around the Pac-10 is that Leland has coveted" the President vacancy at Pacific Univ. Hansen's successor "will face a familiar list of challenges -- making the Pac-10 relevant when the pulse-beat of the nation is in the Eastern time zone, improving TV and bowl contracts and continuing Hansen's strong voice in BCS matters" (SEATTLE TIMES, 9/24).

BACK IN THE POOL: U.S. Olympic swimmer DARA TORRES, CULLEN JONES, AARON PIERSOL and BRENDAN HANSEN appeared on NBC’s “Today” this morning with co-hosts MEREDITH VIEIRA and HODA KOTB. All four swimmers were in N.Y. as part of Toyota’s program “Toyota Engines of Change,” which Jones said gives them a “platform and a voice to work with some of the things that we’d like to focus our energy on besides being in the pool” (“Today,” NBC, 9/24).

Love III Receives '08 Payne Stewart Award

NAMES: The family of DALE LLOYD II, the late Rice Univ. football player who collapsed and died following a team conditioning workout in September '06, "plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit" in a Texas district court against the school, former coach TODD GRAHAM, the NCAA and others (CHRON.com, 9/23)....PGA Tour member DAVIS LOVE III yesterday was named the '08 recipient of the Payne Stewart Award, given annually in honor of late golfer PAYNE STEWART to a Tour player who reflects Stewart's "respect for the traditions of the game, commitment to charitable support, and professional presentation of him through dress and conduct" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 9/24)....Cowboys TE JASON WITTEN is appearing in a PSA throughout the state of Texas "bringing awareness to domestic violence" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/24)....Former NBAer ALONZO MOURNING and his wife, TRACY, this afternoon will speak at the Univ. of Central Florida "about the importance of registering to vote" (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 9/23).