F1 CEO BERNIE ECCLESTONE has "spoken for the first time about how his reign ... could be threatened if he is charged in a bribery case" in Germany surrounding the US$1.6B sale of the racing series to private equity firm CVC in '06. Ecclestone said CVC "will probably be forced to get rid of me if the Germans come after me" (London TELEGRAPH, 12/29).
STICKING AROUND: UConn men's basketball coach KEVIN OLLIE "reached agreement on a five-year extension worth roughly $7 million -- more with performance bonuses." Ollie for the next five years will be paid $400,000 "in base salary." In '13, he will receive $800,000 for "institutional speaking engagements." That figure will "increase by $50,000 each year, and a prorated portion for Jan. 1 to April 15, 2018, totaling about $500,000 for a total of roughly $7 million." Ollie in the final season of his contract "will make $1.4 million" (HARTFORD COURANT, 12/30).
NAMES: EPL CEO RICHARD SCUDAMORE will make US$6.5M next year, after earning US$1.4M last season (London SUN, 12/28)....Rays President MATT SILVERMAN was married Saturday in Austin (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 12/29)....The Baltimore Sun named Orioles manager BUCK SHOWALTER “Marylander of the Year” (Baltimore SUN, 12/30)…."Fox News Sunday" anchor CHRIS WALLACE watched Sunday's Cowboys-Redskins game with Redskins Owner DAN SNYDER (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 12/30)....UFC President DANA WHITE said that William Morris Endeavor agent ARI EMANUEL “received an unwanted surprise” during the JIM MILLER-JOE LAUZON fight at UFC 155. A “nickel-deep cut on Lauzon’s forehead squirted blood with enough outward trajectory to land on the man who famously inspired fictional ‘Entourage’ character Ari Gold” (LAS VEGAS SUN, 12/30).
IN MEMORY: Former Red Sox Treasurer JOHN REILLY died last Saturday at the age of 88, and in Boston, Nick Cafardo called Reilly “one of my favorite people in the Sox organization,” and a “wonderful man” (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/30).
