The Univ. of Kansas fired football coach CHARLIE WEIS yesterday, and the move “comes with a short-term cost.” After this season, Weis “had two years remaining” on his five-year, $12.5M contract. He “will receive the remainder of his contact,” which amounts to about $5.625M, in monthly installments through December ’16. In all, KU will pay former coach TURNER GILL and Weis $22.5M “for four-plus seasons of work in which the Jayhawks’ football team is 11-41.” However, KU AD SHEAHON ZENGER yesterday said that the school “still has the resources to pay competitive salaries for football coaches” (KANSASCITY.com, 9/28).
WORKING WITHOUT A NET: A lawsuit was filed on Thursday by fan CHIP GREEN against the NHL and United Center “seeking $200,000 in compensation” and asking the Blackhawks to “extend its safety netting further around the rink.” Green's case against the Blackhawks “isn’t the only lawsuit they’re facing from a fan struck by a puck in the lower level.” PATRICIA HIGGINS filed a suit in July “after being struck in the face by a puck” at Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in ’13 (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/26).
FILM SESSION: ESPN Films was “the big winner” at the second annual La Costa Film Festival, with the jury picking “BROTHERS IN EXILE” -- a film about former MLBers LIVAN and ORLANDO HERNANDEZ -- as top feature documentary. The jury also selected “TOMMY AND FRANK” -- a “30 for 30 Short” about TOMMY JOHN and the late DR. FRANK JOBE -- as best short documentary. “Brothers In Exile,” which is set to premiere on Nov. 4 on ESPN as part of the “30 for 30” fall series, also was given the festival’s audience award in the documentary category. Meanwhile, director RON SHELTON received the ambassador of Sports Award for his work on movies such as “BULL DURHAM,” “TIN CUP” and “WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP” (VARIETY.com, 9/27)....A documentary on the life of former UConn men’s basketball coach JIM CALHOUN, entitled "BORN TO LEAD: JIM CALHOUN," premieres Thursday at The Bushnell in Hartford (COURANT.com, 9/26).
AWARDS & HONORS: Double-A Frisco RoughRiders President & GM SCOTT SONJU was named Bill Valentine Texas League Exec of the Year for '14 (RoughRiders)....Toronto Star auto racing editor NORRIS MCDONALD “will be the first journalist” inducted into the Canadian Motor Sports HOF on Saturday. McDonald will be recognized alongside drivers SCOTT MAXWELL, PAUL TRACY and DIANA CARTER, as well as builder JOHN MAGILL, at the HOF’s 20th annual induction ceremony in Toronto (TORONTO STAR, 9/27)....Pro Football HOFer JIM BROWN on Saturday received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award (N.Y. TIMES, 9/28).
NAMES: Air Force AD HANS MUEH said that “he’s willing to slide his retirement date” based on when the school hires his replacement. Mueh said that “he’d leave as early as January, but will not stay past June 30, when his contract expires.” Air Force “has received 50 applications after advertising” for the AD vacancy. A search committee “will identify 10 applicants to interview, then present a list of three candidates” to school Superintendent LT. GEN. MICHELLE JOHNSON in November (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 9/28)....In N.Y., Mitch Smith profiled former MLBer FRANK WHITE, who is a “first-time candidate for public office” as he runs for a local seat in Jackson County, Mo. (N.Y. TIMES, 9/28)....Jim Brown, Basketball HOFers BILL RUSSELL and JERRY WEST, Boxing HOFer SUGAR RAY LEONARD and Baseball HOFers JOE MORGAN, REGGIE JACKSON and ROD CAREW will tee it up on Nov. 10 in the second annual Frank Robinson Celebrity Golf Invitational, which benefits the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 9/26)....A new book on former Whalers Owner HOWARD BALDWIN is titled “SLIM AND NONE: MY WILD RIDE FROM THE WHA TO THE NHL AND ALL THE WAY TO HOLLYWOOD.” It covers his years in the NHL and his career in Hollywood. The book was written by STEVE MILTON and took two years to complete (COURANT.com, 9/26)....GAYLE BENSON, wife of Saints and Pelicans Owner TOM BENSON, has “launched a seven-horse stable with strong New Orleans connections and great ambitions” (NOLA.com, 9/27).
