In S.F., Rachel Gordon in a front-page piece reports federal agents have arrested ROBIN O'CONNOR, a former payroll manager with the Giants, “on suspicion of embezzling more than $1.5 million from team accounts.” O’Connor faces “federal felony charges of wire fraud and fraud in connection with a computer.” She has been accused of “redirecting payroll money into her personal accounts between June 2010 and June of this year.” As a payroll manager who "earned a base salary of $80,000 a year, O’Connor processed direct deposits for salaries and expenses into the bank accounts of employees, including players, according to court records." Giants Senior VP/Communications STACI SLAUGHTER declined to name “which players or other team employees were affected.” The alleged embezzlement “came to the team’s attention last month” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/31). The Giants "conducted an audit after O’Connor’s alleged admission and discovered 11 suspicious deposits totaling more than double what she had confessed to, for a total $1, 513,386” (AP, 8/30).
3, 2, 1, ZERO: In Orlando Josh Robbins reported Magic G GILBERT ARENAS is “shutting down his controversial Twitter account for good.” Not only has Arenas “deleted every one of the tweets he’s posted over the last several months, but he’s also deleted the account altogether.” The NBA “fined him an undisclosed amount in June" for making inappropriate comments on Twitter. However, the league "lost its ability to fine Arenas once the collective bargaining agreement expired on July 1” (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 8/30).
READ ANYTHING GOOD LATELY? Sources said that author RICHARD BEN CRAMER is writing a book about Yankees 3B ALEX RODRIGUEZ that "will highlight the slugger’s exploits on and -- more interestingly -- off the field.” The book “now ‘under contract’ and tentatively titled ‘The Importance of Being Alex: A Life With the Yankees,’ will be published by Twelve.” A source indicated that it "isn't slated to hit stores until April 2014" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/31)....Former Bills coach MARV LEVY appeared on CBS’ “The Early Show” yesterday to promote his new novel, “BETWEEN THE LIES," a fiction novel about a “cheating scandal at a Super Bowl.” Levy: “I always wanted to be a writer. I was an English major and a history major in college, and I put aside plot lines and character studies and said some day when I retire I’m going to write a book.” He added, “Let me stress, it is fiction. It’s fiction. I’m not accusing anybody" ("The Early Show," CBS, 8/30).
NAMES: HBO has “ordered a pilot for 'DA BRICK,' a boxing drama project loosely based" on former boxer MIKE TYSON. The show will be set in Newark, and SPIKE LEE is set to direct with JOHN RIDLEY "on board to write and serve as showrunner" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 8/30)….Magic Dir of Community Relations, Government Affairs & Multicultural Insights LUCAS BOYCE was named Central Florida’s Outstanding Male of the Year in the Orlando Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 competition (Magic)….The Seahawks yesterday unveiled a “new, 8-foot bronze statue” of former OT WALTER JONES in front of the team's new restaurant in the Seattle-Tacoma Int'l Airport (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 8/31)….The Erie-Niagara Tobacco-Free Coalition, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society have given the Bills the Leonard Pleasant/New Voice Club Tobacco-Free Advocate of the Year Award for creating a smoke-free environment at Ralph Wilson Stadium (Bills)....Cavaliers Owner DAN GILBERT “officially closed on the purchase of the First National Building” in Detroit for $8.1M. The acquisition “puts the final touches on the acquisition of Gilbert’s 1.7 million-square-foot Detroit portfolio" (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 8/30)….Marlins 3B GREG DOBBS last night stopped by Elmhurst Hospital in Queens to visit a 12-year-old boy who was struck in the face by a foul ball Dobbs hit Monday at Citi Field (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 8/30)....The Patriots last night presented LB JEROD MAYO with the Ron Burton Community MVP Award, honoring players "for the good deeds they do in the community" (BOSTON.com, 8/30).
