Fox Sports flew the mothers of all of the U.S. women's national team players to San Jose "unannounced to show up at Saturday evening's team dinner." The players were "told only that special guests would be coming." U.S. G HOPE SOLO said, "Our whole team was so surprised" (SAN JOSE MECRURY NEWS, 5/11). Solo: "Amazing that all these people could keep a secret. When they walked in we were in complete shock. Everyone had tears in their eyes" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/11). Meanwhile, Solo's husband, former NFLer JERRAMY STEVENS, was sentenced Friday to 30 days in jail and four years probation for driving a U.S. Soccer Federation van while under the influence of alcohol. However, he was "freed from jail" yesterday "after serving two days" (AP, 5/10).
LEGAL GOLDEN EAGLE: In Milwaukee, Bill Glauber profiled Marquette Univ. Sports Law Institute Dir MATT MITTEN, who this week "starts a two-year term as president of the Sports Lawyers Association." Mitten "taught his first sports law class" in '91, as the discipline "was starting to attract interest." Sports law textbooks "were being published," and the Sports Law Institute "was up and running" under Founding Dir MARTIN GREENBERG, who oversaw it from '89-97. Greenberg: "Matt has taken it to the next level." He added that Mitten and Associate Dir PAUL ANDERSON "have helped build the institute that is associated with Marquette's nationally renowned sports law program" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 5/10).
ROWDIES' ROAD: In Tampa, Rodney Page profiled NASL Tampa Bay Rowdies President & GM FARRUKH QURAISHI, who is "known simply as Farrukh by the Rowdies faithful." It is as if fans "have known him forever, and many have." Ever since Quraishi arrived in Tampa "as an original member" of the '75 Rowdies, he "has made it his mission to see soccer thrive in the area." He is "still trying" 40 years later. The Rowdies' attendance "rank sixth in the 11-team NASL with an average of 6,235." But all five teams ranked ahead of them "have stadiums with more than a 7,000-seat capacity" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/9).
NAMES: A source said that Republican presidential hopeful JEB BUSH, is "close to naming" NFL Jets Owner WOODY JOHNSON as his National Finance Chair (DAILYCALLER.com, 5/8). Johnson held a similar role with '12 Republican nominee MITT ROMNEY (THE DAILY)....Broncos QB PEYTON MANNING is "throwing considerable support" behind an $8M campaign for the construction of the St. Vincent House, a "home away from home for families of seriously ill children undergoing treatment at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent" in Indianapolis. The facility will "have 20 private rooms, a chapel and a community room for use by families who live more than 30 miles away" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/9)....The Reds hired Baseball HOFer BARRY LARKIN "as a part-time roving instructor in the minor leagues." Larkin "was working as an analyst for ESPN until this season" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 5/9)....Newsday writer BOB HERZOG on Friday was inducted into the Suffolk Sports HOF (NEWSDAY, 5/9)....Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT and his girlfriend, RICKI LANDER, on Thursday attended the New York City Ballet Spring Gala at the Metropolitan Opera House (N.Y. POST, 5/9)....Baseball HOFer-elect PEDRO MARTINEZ on Thursday held a book signing at The Paper Store in Framingham, Mass., for his new book, “PEDRO,” co-authored by the Boston Herald’s MICHAEL SILVERMAN (BOSTONHERALD.com, 5/10)....Two weeks after being arrested for allegedly assaulting each other, Mercury C BRITTNEY GRINER and Shock F GLORY JOHNSON on Friday were married at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix (LATIMES.com, 5/9).
IN MEMORY: U.S. driver and journalist DENISE MCCLUGGAGE died Wednesday at her home in Santa Fe at the age of 88. She helped found Competition Press in the ‘50s and wrote for Autoweek magazine until recently (NYTIMES.com, 5/9).
