NJSEA Chair CARL GOLDBERG yesterday "submitted his resignation" from the state organization, according to John Brennan of the Bergen RECORD. Goldberg, who also resigned from the NJSEA's board, had "spent the past year as a holdover board member as efforts continued to revive the long-stalled Meadowlands Xanadu project." Five of the 16 board members, including Goldberg, "have been serving under expired terms." NJSEA Vice Chair JOSEPH BUCKELEW, Goldberg’s predecessor, "will resume his former role at least temporarily." Brennan notes NJSEA President & CEO DENNIS ROBINSON's contract "expired a month ago, though he remains in the post for now" (Bergen RECORD, 1/5). In Newark, Ted Sherman in a front-page piece reports Goldberg resigned amid "mounting pressure" from New Jersey Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE's administration. Sources indicated that Goldberg "was forced to leave." He had "privately expressed hopes for months that he might be able to stay on, if only as a commissioner." But Christie, "frustrated over the Senate’s inaction on his pending nominees, had made it no secret that he was looking to make major changes at the authority." Sherman notes as Chair of NJSEA, Goldberg "gained a reputation as a soft-spoken facilitator, during a time of mounting decline for an agency that once played host to five professional sports teams, operated two major race tracks and attracted a long roster of top names in music and entertainment to its venues." But in recent years, the authority has been "losing tens of millions of dollars and found itself presiding over a crumbling empire" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 1/5).

ESPN.com's Adam Salo reported NBA Kings co-Owners and Maloof Money Cup Founders JOE and GAVIN MALOOF have "kicked off the 'Skateboarding for Hope Tour' in South Africa ... in anticipation of expanding their skateboard contest series internationally, and building up to their first event to be held outside" the U.S. The 10-month tour across the country "seeks to promote skateboarding as a healthy and positive alternative to kids whose lives may drift toward criminal activity." The tour will culminate with the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Maloof Money Cup World Skateboarding Championships in Kimberley, South Africa (ESPN.com, 1/4).

FROM THE COURTS: A federal district court in Maryland awarded Bills LB SHAWNE MERRIMAN nearly $4M and interests in real estate partnerships against former NBAers CHRISTIAN LAETTNER and BRIAN DAVIS. Merriman loaned Laettner and Davis $3M for their real estate businesses in '07. Laettner and Davis in '09 defaulted in repaying the loan and refused to transfer the real estate interests (EAG Sports Management).

BOOKSHELF: INSIDE HIGHER ED's Sam Petulla noted Penn State Univ. professor emeritus of sports history RONALD SMITH has written "PAY FOR PLAY: A HISTORY OF BIG-TIME COLLEGE ATHLETIC REFORM." The book "analyzes the history behind the current university athletic standards -- from [NCAA] reforms to presidential maneuverings to university governing board lapses." Smith's book is "part history, part policy prospectus, and part call for reform of a system he believes fails athletes -- in particular minorities and women" (INSIDEHIGHERED.com, 1/3)....In Orlando, Shannon Owens notes Magic Dir of Multicultural Insights & Cause Marketing LUCAS BOYCE has written "LIVING PROOF: FROM FOSTER CARE TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE NBA," which will be "published nationwide via Advantage Media Group starting Jan. 15." The book tells how Boyce took "one of the most unusual paths to the NBA fraternity" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/5).

Reviewing The Call : In N.Y., Michael Schmidt cites sources as saying that MLB Commissioner BUD SELIG "remains unsatisfied" despite the fact that the MLBPA "has now essentially cleared" agent SCOTT BORAS over loans his company made to a Dominican prospect. An MLB official said, "If the union feels that Boras giving money to young Dominican prospects does not violate its rules, then they should take a look at their own rules" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/5).

NAMES: NFL Draft prospect QB BLAINE GABBERT yesterday chose CAA Football's JIM STEINER, TOM CONDON and BEN DOGRA for representation. Gabbert is "widely believed to be a late first-round candidate for the April draft, although some project him higher" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1/4)....The Charter Communications BOD “plans to explore this quarter a possible stock conversation that could further reduce the voting stake and say” of Trail Blazers and Seahawks Owner PAUL ALLEN, Charter's former Chair and controlling shareholder (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 1/5)….Honus Wagner Sporting Goods in downtown Pittsburgh “is closing,” 91 years after the late Baseball HOFer opened the store (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 1/5)….Blackhawks President JOHN MCDONOUGH had lunch yesterday with Northwestern Univ. AD JIM PHILLIPS at Harry Caray’s in downtown Chicago (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/5)….Lawyers from Seyfarth Shaw and Troutman Sanders are representing the Jets and Vikings QB BRETT FAVRE, respectively, in the sexual harassment lawsuit brought by two former Jets team masseuses (AMLAWDAILY.com, 1/4).

Yesterday was veteran sports business writer SARAH TALALAY’s last day at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, as she is becoming a foreign service officer for the U.S. government. She will start her training at the State Department in the middle of February, then learn in late March the location of her first overseas post. Talalay said that it was a combination of wanting to try something different and the state of the newspaper industry that convinced her to consider a different career path. “I was looking for something that would be as stimulating and challenging and interesting as journalism, and that I could still do without going back to school or having a lot of capital,” Talalay said. After talking to friends employed in the foreign service, considering her love of travel and aspirations to speak a foreign language fluently and live abroad, she took the foreign service written exam about two years ago on a whim and passed. Talalay leaves after being with the newspaper for 16 years, but she hopes her background will come in handy in her future role. “I like to say that sports are a diplomatic tool or sports are good for diplomacy. I am hoping there will be a way to continue to have some hand in sports some way or another,” Talalay said. Sun-Sentinel Sports Editor JOE SCHWERDT indicated a desire to continue the sports business beat Talalay covered, but noted the paper will "assess what our needs are and how we can best use open positions to fill those needs."

New NHLPA Exec Dir DONALD FEHR ranks No. 1 on The Hockey News' list of the Top 100 "People of Power and Influence," and Ken Campbell notes the designation was "not only for what Fehr has accomplished already, but for the impact he will undoubtedly have in the hockey world in the next 18 months." Fehr has "power," as he was "brought in as an advisor to the broken down NHLPA and has emerged as the overwhelming choice of the players to guide them into" the next CBA. He was "the lead figure in reconstructing an NHLPA constitution that effectively neutered his predecessor, PAUL KELLY." Fehr also has "influence," as every time he "opens his mouth during a meeting with players and agents they come away more impressed." Campbell: "That Fehr was able to get the job despite some very contentious demands in terms of salary and employment terms speaks volumes of the sway he now holds" (THE HOCKEY NEWS, 1/17 issue). GARY BETTMAN ranks No. 2 on the list, and THE HOCKEY NEWS' Alan Adams writes it has been a "great year" for the NHL Commissioner, who is "in full control." The Blackhawks' Stanley Cup run "put the spotlight on hockey for the right reasons, as did the Olympics." The NHL also "whipped the NHLPA" in the Devils LW ILYA KOVALCHUK "contract saga and the talk of franchise relocation has died down" (THE HOCKEY NEWS, 1/17 issue). Listed below are the first 25 people named to the top 100 list.

Gannett has named TOM BEUSSE to the newly created position of President of USA Today Sports Media Group. Beusse, most recently President & CEO of Westwood One, will be responsible for overseeing business and strategy for sports initiatives at USA Today, as well as Gannett's 82 newspaper properties and various other media entities. He will work at Gannett's N.Y. offices (Gannett).

GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNIN': Hendrick Companies has retained RAY EVERNHAM to "consult on special projects" for the motorsports organization. Evernham's role will be to "help with the development of the Hendrick Performance retail brand of high-performance parts, vehicles, products and related services." Evernham is "leaving ESPN," where he had been a motorsports analyst (AP, 1/4)....NASCAR has promoted Managing Dir of Licensed Products BLAKE DAVIDSON to VP/Licensing & Consumer Products. Davidson has been with NASCAR for more than 15 years (NASCAR)....Kentucky Speedway has hired DAVID MARTIN as Dir of Marketing & Sales. Most recently, Martin worked for GMR Marketing (THE DAILY)....DEI Exec VP & GM JEFF STEINER has "left the organization to pursue other opportunities" after less than two years. DEI has not named a replacement (SCENEDAILY.com, 1/4).

EXECS: The NCAA named DONALD REMY General Counsel & VP/Legal Affairs. Remy is a Partner at Latham & Watkins, LLP, where he specializes in litigation. He will join the NCAA on March 14 (NCAA)....Keeneland has named WALT ROBERTSON to the newly created position of VP/Sales (Keeneland)....Cleveland-based Home Team Marketing has opened an L.A. office and hired ADRIENNE BIEHL as VP (HTM)....MASN has hired PETE KERZEL as Managing Editor of MASNSports.com. Kerzel most recently penned an Orioles-centric blog and provided coverage of the MLB team for CSNBaltimore.com (MASN).

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