Nike co-Founder & Chair PHIL KNIGHT has asked Oregon Gov. JOHN KITZHABER "not to consider him for a spot on a new governing board" for the Univ. of Oregon. Knight was one of nearly 50 people recommended by UO President MICHAEL GOTTFREDSON for the 11- to 15-member board (AP, 8/17).
WEDDING WATCH: Singer PAUL MCCARTNEY was among those in attendance for Friday's wedding party of Nets and Barclays Center CEO BRETT YORMARK and ELAINA SCOTTO at the Wolffer Estate in N.Y. (N.Y. POST, 8/19)....Golfer DUSTIN JOHNSON yesterday tweeted that PAULINA GRETZKY, the daughter of Hockey HOFer WAYNE GRETZKY, "said yes" when he asked her to marry him (AP, 8/18).
LAWYER UP: Attorneys for Biogenesis Founder ANTHONY BOSCH said that Yankees 3B ALEX RODRIGUEZ "paid for" Bosch’s legal representation and "later made a wire transfer for nearly $50,000 that Bosch’s attorney refused to accept." Sources said that the transfer, which was "described by one of Rodriguez’s former attorneys as a mistake," is part of MLB’s evidence that Rodriguez "attempted to tamper with the league’s Biogenesis investigation" (ESPN.com, 8/18)....Univ. of Tennessee Associate AD/Women's Sports Medicine JENNY MOSHAK, a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit against the school alleging discrimination and retaliation, on Friday issued a statement through attorney KEITH STEWART saying that she "took an early retirement over issues related to the suit" (KNOXNEWS.com, 8/16)....Texas A&M AD ERIC HYMAN said that the school is "doing all it can to support" QB JOHNNY MANZIEL"while looking out for its own interests." Hyman said the university has "retained the services of one of the most respected legal firms in the country" in Lightfoot, Franklin & White (ESPN.com, 8/17).
NAMES: Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT was a "special guest" of UFC President DANA WHITE at Saturday's UFC Fight Night at TD Garden. Kraft sat near White, who said, "Yeah, he loved it. He's such a good guy. I could not say enough good things about that guy. It literally is amazing, what a good human being this guy is. It's awesome" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/19)....Pro Football HOFer JOE MONTANA plans to build a "four-star hotel, upscale restaurant and sports bar" across the street from Levi’s Stadium, and the "new goal is to have the project open in time" for Super Bowl L at the stadium in ’16. Montana and his partners after "more than a year of negotiations" have been "unable to reach a deal with Santa Clara officials on the value of the city-owned land they plan to build on" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 8/16)....NASCAR driver DALE EARNHARDT JR.'s Whisky River nightclub "plans to open a location next spring" at Charlotte Douglas Int'l Airport (CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.com, 8/16)....Former NFLer JAKE DELHOMME has been elected Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association BOD President (AP, 8/17)....Three members of the undefeated ’72 Dolphins team, MANNY FERNANDEZ, BOB KUECHENBERG and JIM LANGER, "have declined their White House invitations" because they "disagree politically" with the OBAMA administration (MIAMIHERALD.com, 8/17).
