In Austin, Christian Sylt reports organizers of the U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas "have not paid the hosting fee for the just-completed race." But F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said that he is "giving the Austin group more time to cope with a decrease in state financial support." Sylt notes the hosting fee comes to an estimated $33M and is "due to be paid in the run-up to the race, which took place Oct. 25." Ecclestone: "We said they can pay late this year. They get money from the state, and the money from the state is late, so that’s why they are late" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 11/18).
IN THE SCRUM: In Sacramento, Ed Fletcher reports the city yesterday was named as the "first of six cities to host teams playing in a new professional rugby league." The inaugural PRO Rugby 10-game season "would begin play in April." The remaining five cities are "expected to be named later this week." The league, which has "been sanctioned by the national and international rugby bodies, is on an aggressive timeline to begin." Ticket sales are "expected to open in January" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 11/18).
YOUTH OF THE NATION: ESPN golf analyst Dottie Pepper in a special to ESPNW wrote for all of the "doomsday specialists who predicted the end" of the LPGA when Annika Sorenstam retired, and the "same now that it is apparent Tiger Woods' skills are no longer driving the bus on the men's side ... just hang on a minute." Jordan Spieth and Lydia Ko have "rewritten the record books and the timelines for golf by dominating their respective tours and reaching the top of the world rankings in their own distinctive manner -- and at lightning speed." Pepper: "Let's applaud these two world beaters and how they have set themselves apart in the most normal ways, recognizing the whole person before the focused-to-a-fault professional athlete." They are "good for golf, good for the youth who look up to them, good for their tours" (ESPNW.com, 11/17).
