OUTSPORTS.com's Jim Buzinski reported MLB umpire DALE SCOTT is the first male official in the NBA, NHL, NFL or MLB "to publicly say he is gay while active." Scott said, "Major League Baseball has proven that it certainly isn't an issue with them. I've worked the World Series, I've worked the playoffs consistently, I've been a crew chief for 12 years. Obviously, if they had an issue with my life, it would be shown in my career with lack of assignments." He added he is "extremely grateful that Major League Baseball has always judged me on my work and nothing else and that's the way it should be." Buzinski noted Scott "never held a meeting with fellow umpires or with management to discuss his sexual orientation, yet he never hid his relationship" with MICHAEL RAUSCH. Scott said that "eventually everyone in his circle figured it out" by the late '90s (OUTSPORTS.com, 12/2).
PRIME TIME PROSECUTION: Pro Football HOFer DEION SANDERS "has filed a defamation suit against his ex-wife, PILAR SANDERS," claiming she published "false statements on social media that accuse him of multiple crimes, including child abuse, spousal abuse, assault and attempted murder." The suit, filed in Collin County, Texas, seeks damages between $200,000 and $1M, as well as "other relief to which he may be entitled" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/3).
GIVING TUESDAY: Texans WR ANDRE JOHNSON yesterday bought more than $16,000 worth of "stuffed animals, DVDs, video games and toys" for 11 children in the care of Houston-area Child Protective Services (ESPN.com, 12/2)....Packers G JOSH SITTON "treated about 70 children Tuesday to holiday shopping sprees" at a Green Bay department store (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 12/3).
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD: Bills co-Owner KIM PEGULA will replace MARY OWEN, a member of late Bills founder RALPH WILSON JR.'s family, on the NFL Foundation board (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 12/3)....L.A.-based Hero Ventures, the company behind The Marvel Experience theme park attraction, announced that Basketball HOFer MAGIC JOHNSON is “joining the team as an investor and board member” (L.A. TIMES, 12/3).
NAMES: N.Y. Mayor BILL DE BLASIO yesterday announced NFL Giants Chair & Exec VP STEVE TISCH donated $1.2M to the city’s public high schools that would "pay to have trainers or emergency medical technicians at all contact football practices." The money will "enable the city to have the new personnel for all 53 football programs" for about two years (N.Y. TIMES, 12/3)....Golf HOFer JACK NICKLAUS will receive Congress’ "highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal." Nicklaus received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in ’05. He and fellow HOFer ARNOLD PALMER are the "only golfers to get both awards" (AP, 12/2)....Phillies P JONATHAN PAPELBON listed his 4,200-square-foot Philadelphia condo for $6.9M. He and his wife ASHLEY paid $4.6M in ’12 (PHILLY.com, 12/2)....Former MLBer JIM EDMONDS listed his golf course home in La Quinta, Calif., for $1.65M (L.A. TIMES, 12/3)....Lions QB MATTHEW STAFFORD sold his Franklin, Mich., home for $1.59M. He “took a loss on the home,” which he purchased for $1.9M in ’11 (L.A. TIMES, 12/3)....Tennis player CAROLINE WOZNIACKI and Redskins LB RYAN KERRIGAN were “fanning new boo rumors” after appearing in public together Monday night (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 12/2).
