News Corp. Chair & CEO RUPERT MURDOCH "has taken a big step in the succession planning of his media empire by appointing his sons LACHLAN and JAMES to top roles." Lachlan, 42, will be Non-Exec co-Chair of 21st Century Fox and News Corp, and James, 41, will become co-COO of 21st Century Fox, reporting to company President & COO CHASE CAREY, but "sharing many responsibilities with him." The brothers "were already directors of both companies." There "is no new role" for daughter ELISABETH MURDOCH (FINANCIAL TIMES, 3/26).
CANDID CORNWELL: ESPN's ANDREW BRANDT last Friday hosted a symposium at Villanova Law School that "looked at key topical issues" in sports law. At the meeting, DAVID CORNWELL, the "go-to lawyer for players with team or league issues, was refreshingly candid" about two of his clients: Yankees 3B ALEX RODRIGUEZ and 49ers OT JONATHAN MARTIN. Regarding Rodriguez, he "admitted to a misguided assault he orchestrated" on the Yankees, MLB Commissioner BUD SELIG and MLB itself. Cornwell: "The scorched-earth approach, you know, is kind of swinging for the fences: if you miss, you miss. Looking back on it I think honestly we have to admit that we missed." The "ever-confident Cornwell showed some contriteness and vulnerability in admitting strategic mistakes with Rodriguez" (MMQB.SI.com, 3/25).
SWAMP THING: Florida men's basketball coach BILLY DONOVAN's amended contract "will run through 2018-19 and remains slightly above the current value" of about $3.5M a year -- making the total over the next five years -- which includes bonuses, incentives, etc. -- worth potentially more than $20M. The amendments "result in $350,000 in pay increases this season over what was scheduled; $250,000 as a new, one-time longevity payment; and $100,000 as an increase in pay under the activities agreement." That $100,000 "stays in place over the five future years" (FLORIDA TODAY, 3/26).
DEVILS IN THE DETAILS: U.S. Sen. MITCH MCCONNELL's (R-Ky.) campaign staff was "scrambling Tuesday morning to remove" an online campaign video that mistakenly "features a split-second clip of Duke basketball players celebrating" their '10 national championship. McConnell spokesperson ALLISON MOORE "blamed the mistake on a vendor and says the campaign was 'horrified'" (AP, 3/23).
BOOK SHELF: NBC Sports Associate Producer/Golf and Golf Channel Managing Editor GIL CAPPS yesterday released his first book: "THE MAGNIFICENT MASTERS: JACK NICKLAUS, JOHNNY MILLER, TOM WEISKOPF AND THE 1975 CLIFFHANGER AT AUGUSTA" (Golf Channel)....Bruins LW MILAN LUCIC is writing a children’s book, “NOT COOL TO BULLY IN SCHOOL,” with his wife BRITTANY, Single-A N.Y.-Penn League Lowell Spinners Exec VP/Corporate Communications JON GOODE and former NHLer CLEON DASKALAKIS (BOSTON HERALD, 3/26).
NAMES: Lightning Owner JEFF VINIK will receive the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay '14 Award of Excellence in a ceremony on May 17 (Lightning)....TNT's SHAQUILLE O'NEAL is "being investigated by Atlanta police in connection with an alleged assault of a co-worker at Turner Studios." O'Neal's attorney DENNIS ROACH in a statement said, "This was nothing more than horseplay" (SACBEE.com, 3/25)....The Boys & Girls Club of Collier County (Fla.) on Monday hosted its second annual Youth of the Year Celebration at Artis-Naples with special guests including O’Neal and ESPN's DICK VITALE (Ft. Myers NEWS-PRESS, 3/26)....Singer JIM NABORS has decided that '14 "will be the last year he will sing "(BACK HOME AGAIN IN) INDIANA" prior to the start of the Indianapolis 500 (INDYSTAR.com, 3/25)....Cubs P JEFF SAMARDZIJA listed a “three-bedroom, 2,500-square-foot condominium in the Southport Corridor area of west Lakeview for nearly $700,000” (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 3/25)….Sources said that DAVID BECKHAM and Heat F LEBRON JAMES were spotted together “at FDR lounge at the Delano hotel Monday after” the Heat game in Miami (N.Y. POST, 3/26).
