The decision "not to commemorate a once prominent owner with a patch" after NELSON DOUBLEDAY JR. passed away in mid-June "makes the Mets something of an outlier" in MLB. Even part-owners -- like novelist TOM CLANCY, who "owned a small piece" of the Orioles -- "have had patches produced and worn in their memories." Broadcaster TIM MCCARVER, who called Mets games from '83-98, said, "No question in my mind, Nelson deserves one. I don’t understand why not." The Mets "have not avoided using patches in recent years." Last year, the team "wore patches in memory of" broadcaster RALPH KINER and GM FRANK CASHEN. Doubleday and current Mets co-Owner FRED WILPON "disagreed on various things" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/6).
GATOR CHOMP: In what "amounts to a WILL MUSCHAMP Clause," the Univ. of Florida's contract with new head coach JIM MCELWAIN "contains a provision under which the school will be financially protected if [it] fires McElwain without cause and he takes a job" with another SEC school within 90 days. That is what happened last year when UF "fired Muschamp, who was owed a buyout of more than" $6M and then "signed a three-year contract to become Auburn's defensive coordinator" at $1.5M this season and increases of $100,000 in each of the next two seasons (USA TODAY, 8/6).
THE GOOD STUFF: Redskins Owner DANIEL SNYDER yesterday "took part in a groundbreaking" in Richmond’s East End for a "football-themed playground to be constructed on a vacant lot next to an elementary school." After posing for pictures with several of the children, Snyder "was rushed to a waiting Cadillac Escalade" by Redskins Senior VP/Communications TONY WYLLIE, "declining to answer reporters’ questions about the project" or the team (WASHINGTON POST, 8/6)....The Lions yesterday announced an expansion of their "partnership with
HAVEN, an Oakland County center focused on preventing and treating
domestic violence and sexual assault." The Lions are "providing a
$250,000 grant to fund HAVEN’s 'Redefine' program, which is intended to
educate high school- and college-aged men about domestic violence" (DETROIT NEWS, 8/6).
NAMES: According to Boston 2024 officials, there is "very little 'swag' left over." But the interns, volunteers and staff who "worked tirelessly to try to convince residents that hosting the Olympics would be beneficial will get first dibs on the paraphernalia" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/6)....Nine CEOs, including DAVID ZASLAV of Discovery Communications, "were paid 800 times or more than the average worker" at their companies. Zaslav was paid $156M during the more recently completed FY, which is "2,282 times greater than the average $68,397 median wage reported by Glassdoor.com." Time Warner Cable Chair & CEO ROBERT MARCUS also makes the list with a $34,615,597 salary compared to a median TWC worker's pay of $42,881 -- an 807 CEO-to-worker pay ratio (USA TODAY, 8/6)....Hawks G DENNIS SCHRODER was "chosen for the cover of the NBA 2K16 Germany video game recently." Thunder F KEVIN DURANT "appeared on the cover in Germany last year" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 8/6)....Saints fan RICHARD KOHNKE was "found guilty of a misdemeanor Tuesday for shoving Bears chairman GEORGE MCCASKEY at Soldier Field" in December '14. He was "sentenced to six months of court supervision" (ESPN.com, 8/5)....Former Clippers Owner DONALD STERLING yesterday "filed for divorce," almost a year after a "contentious legal fight with his wife, SHELLY, led to the sale" of the team. Court papers "cited 'irreconcilable differences' between the couple, who would celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in less than three weeks." Shelly Sterling has "refused to distribute her husband's share" of the record $2B sale of the Clippers (L.A. TIMES, 8/6)....Author GEORGE R.R. MARTIN, who wrote the series of books that spawned HBO's "GAME OF THRONES," yesterday "spent several hours" at the NFL Jets' training camp, watching practice at the team's New Jersey facility (ESPNNY.com, 8/5)....UFC fighter TYRON WOODLEY appears in the upcoming film "STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON," which chronicles the rise of '80s hip-hop group NWA (THE DAILY).
