USA TODAY's Berkowitz & Upton note LSU football coach LES MILES is "among dozens of coaches and athletic directors with lucrative bonuses connected to games this weekend that will determine the BCS lineup and to participation in bowl games." A BCS national title for LSU would "trigger a provision in Miles' contract requiring his compensation to be 'no less than the highest salary of public institutions within the SEC, plus $1,000.'" Berkowitz & Upton note the SEC's highest salary "belongs to Alabama's NICK SABAN." Saban's "basic compensation this season is $4.15 million, Miles' $3.751 million." But Saban's deal "includes an additional annual payment of more than $530,000; also, his basic compensation will increase on Feb. 1, three weeks after the title game" (USA TODAY, 12/2).
FREE RIDE: In St. Louis, Jake Wagman notes the MLB Cardinals' World Series run for many state and local officials was a "free ticket bonanza of corporate lobbyists, who spent $13,500 taking lawmakers to the World Series and other playoff games at Busch Stadium." Ethics Commission filings released Thursday indicated that the total "includes officials who accepted free postseason tickets for themselves and family members, and legislators who traveled from across the state to watch the World Series in a private suite." Unlike other states, Missouri "places no limit on gifts to lawmakers -- so long as they are reported, they are legal." AT&T provided "about $3,000 worth of Cardinals playoffs tickets to local and state officials watching the game from the company's box at Busch Stadium" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/2).
SHEDDING SHARES: In Baltimore, Ryan Sharrow reported Under Armour CEO KEVIN PLANK "plans to shed up to 600,000 shares of the company's stock, piggybacking off similar moves he made in the last year when he sold millions of dollars worth of shares." According to a filing Wednesday with the SEC, Plank "plans to divest the stock during a 10-month period starting in February." The filing said that he "intends to divest of up to 540,000 shares of the company's Class B Common Stock he owns and 60,000 shares of the Under Armour's Class B Common Stock held by his charitable foundation" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/30).
RAISING CAPITAL: In DC, Georg Szalai reported Wizards and Capitals Owner TED LEONSIS and former AOL Time Warner Chair STEVE CASE have "raised a $450 million venture fund to help rebuild the start-up culture" in the DC area. For their Revolution Growth Fund, the two will "put around $75 million of their own money to work" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 12/1).
NAMES: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, WILLIAM and KATE, and Prince HARRY were named official ambassadors for the ’12 London Games (GUARDIAN.co.uk, 12/1). In the run-up to the Games, they “will visit Olympic venues and visit athletes’ training camps.” They will also “attend the Olympics in July and the Paralympics a month later, and are expected to carry out other engagements encouraging children to take part in sport” (TELEGRAPH.co.uk, 12/1)....Penn State officials will donate $1.5M worth of bowl-game proceeds to two organizations that work to eliminate sexual violence (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 12/1)…. NCAA President MARK EMMERT received the March of Dimes Sports Leadership Award on Wednesday at the organization’s annual sports luncheon (NCAA)....DALE EARNHARDT JR. Thursday was named the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series most popular driver for the ninth straight year (ESPN.com, 12/1)….Richard Childress Racing Owner RICHARD CHILDRESS received the NASCAR Buddy Shuman Award during the ’11 NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards luncheon Thursday in Las Vegas. The award recognizes an individual who has played an integral role in the continued success of Sprint Cup Series competition (THE DAILY)….The NASCAR Foundation named Michigan Int’l Speedway its Track of the Year in recognition of its charitable and community efforts (MIS)....Former NESN reporter HEIDI WATNEY Thursday said that she “never dated any of the players on the Red Sox, adding that while she could deal with getting hit on, she couldn’t deal with the rumors.” Watney said that when “the players did ask her out, she would say, ‘No I don’t do that’” (BOSTON HERALD, 12/2).
