Raiders Chief Exec AMY TRASK denied rumors that Owner AL DAVIS is "in declining health" and was "hospitalized over the weekend as a result." Trask: "He's not in the hospital. He's preparing for the draft and he's working, as always. The rumors are untrue." Davis, 81, "last spoke publicly on Jan. 18 in the media conference to present" HUE JACKSON as Raiders head coach (CSNCALIFORNIA.com, 4/12).
GOING BOWLING: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Darren Everson reported a "group of law and economics professors and practitioners has asked the Department of Justice to investigate college football's Bowl Championship Series under antitrust law." In a letter, the 21 signatories, including Univ. of Chicago economics professor RICHARD THALER and Smith College sports economist ANDREW ZIMBALIST, "assert that the BCS is a cartel that 'secures market access and revenue' for its favored members." The professors "claim that the BCS's control of access to the most important postseason games shields major-conference schools from competition and injures schools in the five non-major conferences, whose champions aren't guaranteed a BCS berth and have never appeared in the BCS title game" (WSJ.com, 4/12)....The Fiesta Bowl "will make its case to a special college-football task force April 23 in Chicago on why it should retain its status" in the BCS, but a "final decision on the bowl's future likely won't occur for weeks" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/13).
COURT REPORT: U.S. District Judge JOHN ANTOON II has ruled that "insurance companies for NASCAR cannot recover damages from the makers of the airplane that crashed" in Sanford, Fla., four years ago, killing five people. Antoon "granted a motion for summary judgment for Cessna, ruling in favor of Cessna's argument that the suit against it should be thrown out." NASCAR Managing Dir of Corporate Communications RAMSEY POSTON said that NASCAR itself was "not directly involved in the lawsuit" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 4/12).
THE MARSHAL PLAN: Former Secretary of State COLIN POWELL "will be the honorary grand marshal" for the inaugural Izod IndyCar Series Baltimore Grand Prix on Sept. 4 (Baltimore SUN, 4/13)....Celebrity chef GORDON RAMSAY will serve as grand marshal of Sunday's IndyCar Series Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and race President & CEO JIM MICHAELIAN said that Ramsay and a "half-dozen of the contestants on the new season" of Fox' "HELL'S KITCHEN" will take "rides around the course in the race cars before one of Thursday's many promotional events." The video "will likely be used on an episode of Ramsay's show and parts will likely show up in a pre-race segment for Versus" (Long Beach PRESS-TELEGRAM, 4/11).
NAMES: The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics yesterday announced that ACC Commissioner JOHN SWOFFORD has been selected as this year's recipient of the James J. Corbett Memorial Award (NACDA)....World Golf HOFer LARRY NELSON has been awarded the ’11 PGA Distinguished Service Award and will be honored Aug. 10 at The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/13)....Vikings DE RAY EDWARDS signed a contract yesterday for two boxing matches during the NFL lockout. Edwards signed for a “guaranteed $5,000 plus 50 percent of the May 20 gate proceeds.” If the lockout continues into June he will “fight again under the same terms” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/13)....Law firms Bingham McCutchen, Katten Muchin Rosenman and a trio of London-based firms are advising on the sales of both the Pistons and EPL club Arsenal (LAW.com, 4/11)....Singer CARLY SIMON’s version of “TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME” is included on a CD that “accompanies a recently released picture book of the same name” (AP, 4/12)....The 18-hour Pistons Care Telethon last month “brought in more than $350,000, which will be donated to Boys and Girls Clubs of Michigan” (DETROIT NEWS, 4/13).
