In Seattle, Bud Withers noted Washington State Univ. football coach MIKE LEACH “has a number of attainable incentives" that could boost his $2.25M annual salary even higher. Leach can "make $25,000 for winning the Apple Cup, $75,000 for getting to a non-BCS bowl game and $100,000 for a BCS bowl.” A top-25 final ranking would “bring $50,000 and the top 10 would land $100,000.” If WSU becomes the “No. 1 public school in Pac-12 graduation rates, it's worth $25,000, or $15,000 for being in the top four Pac-12 public schools” (SEATTLE TIMES, 10/31).
UNION JUNCTION: In Toronto, Joe Warmington reports that Canadian hockey officials “are probing the identity of a key figure behind efforts to unionize the country’s junior hockey players.” DEREK CLARKE is the spokesperson for the fledgling Canadian Hockey League Players Association “that has made headlines advocating for the unionization of 1,300 young men” in the CHL. But “few have ever met the man in person” and “his background and history seems largely a mystery.” Warmington: “Many in the hockey community believe Clarke, in fact, is RANDY GUMBLEY, a former hockey coach convicted of two counts of fraud.” CHL President DAVID BRANCH admitted the league is looking into Clarke’s identity (TORONTO SUN, 10/31).
GETTING POLITICAL: In Edmonton, Keith Gerein noted Alberta Premier ALISON REDFORD has “vowed to make public the results of an investigation into large donations her party received from Oilers owner DARYL KATZ and people connected to him.” A Globe & Mail report cited a source as saying that Katz “provided a single $430,000 cheque that was broken into smaller pieces.” Under Alberta’s election finance rules, the “maximum that can be donated by a single source is $30,000” (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 11/1).
CHARITY STRIPE: The Hope Shines for Shannon Fundraiser benefitting Mets Dir of Media Relations SHANNON FORDE, who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in August, has been moved from tonight to Nov. 29 at 7:00pm ET at the Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park, N.J. (N.Y. POST, 11/1)….The Celtics last Friday helped raise over $1M for local children’s charities with their Shamrock Gala at TD Garden. The proceeds benefit the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation. Celtics G PAUL PIERCE was honored at the event, receiving the New England Baptist Community Champion Award (NESN.com, 10/30)….NASCAR driver TREVOR BAYNE in October helped 30 breast cancer survivors with the “nuances of controlling” a stock car on the track at Concord Speedway in N.C. as part of a Ford-sponsored program for breast cancer awareness (FOXSPORTS.com, 10/31)….The Yankees yesterday announced they will donate $500,000 to the American Red Cross to “support the relief efforts in the Tri-State area associated with Hurricane Sandy” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/1)….The family of former Univ. of Texas football coach DARRELL ROYAL is “putting some of his memorabilia up for auction in hopes of raising money to fight” Alzheimer’s disease. The auction will take place on Nov. 11 (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 11/1).
AWARD SEASON: 4A's Jay Chiat Award winners were announced for '12, with firm R/GA taking Gold for Creative Technology with its Nike+ “Fuel Band” spot. Goodby, Silverstein & Partners won Silver for its Chevrolet “Game Time App.” R/GA also won Gold in the Idea for New Product/Content and Innovative Design categories for the Nike+ Fuel Band campaign. R/GA (Nike “Social Response Lab”) and Heat (EA Sports' "Madden NFL 12" spot “Madden Smack Shack | Harnessing the Power of Smack”) were awarded Silver for Social Media Strategy (4A’s).
NAMES: Former NHLer OWEN NOLAN “sold his 1,157-acre ranch in the Mount Hamilton foothills to the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department” for $2.6M (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 11/1)….Tennis players VENUS and SERENA WILLIAMS accompanied their mother, ORACENE PRICE, to Nigeria this week. The sisters “swatted tennis balls with local children at a private club on Ikoyi Island, home to diplomats and many of the nation’s wealthy” (AP, 10/31)….Thunder F KEVIN DURANT on Tuesday held a groundbreaking ceremony for his first restaurant venture, KD’s, which is slated to open in early fall ’13 in Oklahoma City’s Lower Bricktown entertainment district (Durant Restaurant Group)….The March 8, 1971 "Fight of the Century" bout between MUHAMMAD ALI and JOE FRAZIER will be screened at Philadelphia City Hall "sometime after Thanksgiving" at a “$1,000 a pop” fundraiser, with the proceeds going toward erecting a statue honoring Frazier in Philadelphia (PHILLY.com, 10/31)….A new book by former LOCOG Chair SEBASTIAN COE revealed FIFA President SEPP BLATTER thought English football "was run by idiots," which was a reason England failed to win the right to stage the ‘18 World Cup. Coe said that his instincts were that Blatter "always wanted to take the World Cup to Russia, which is what transpired." He also said that people who believed Blatter wanted that outcome because he hated England "were wrong." Coe wrote, "He doesn't. He's Swiss and like a lot of Swiss, he's rather fond of England" (REUTERS, 10/31).
