Iowa AD GARY BARTA last month signed a five-year contract extension with the school, which guarantees him $4.6M in compensation through June 30, 2021. The deal "increases Barta's base salary from $400,000 to $550,000 in July and nearly doubles his annual deferred compensation to $250,000." Both amounts "will then jump" by $50,000 in '18 (AP, 2/17).
MAN OF MANY TASTES: The FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM's Dwain Price profiles Mavericks President of Basketball Operations & GM DONNIE NELSON, who has "fit quite well among the top executives of the NBA." Nelson owns the D-League's Texas Legends and has "invested heavily in a residential and entertainment development called South Side, and the honky-tonk bar Gilley's, both in southern Dallas." Nelson also earlier this month "became co-owner of the Professional Futsal League." Nelson was with the Mavericks through "11 consecutive seasons ('00-11) of 50 or more wins, including three with 60 or more." He also has been "part of three Western Conference Finals teams, two NBA Finals and that coveted championship" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 2/18).
AUCTION BLOCK: Basketball HOFer KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR is "auctioning about 400 items, the majority of what he won, collected, or wore on the court," as well as "gifts he collected" on his '88-89 NBA farewell tour. Abdul-Jabbar "insists he's not selling because of any financial need." He said, "I have enough stuff to have a museum. I'm not in the museum business and I think I should be able to let go at this point" (NBA.com, 2/17)....ClassicAuctions.net "is putting up 66 pieces" of Hockey HOFer ED BELFOUR's collection in an online auction. Among the auction items "are copies of trophies given to him" for the Stanley Cup and the Vezina Trophy (DALLASNEWS.com, 2/17).
NAMES: The Pro Football HOF received a $2.5M grant from The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation (Pro Football HOF)....Tigers and Red Wings Owners MIKE and MARIAN ILITCH, who founded Little Caesars pizza chain, "will be inducted" into the Int'l Franchise Association's HOF later this year in San Antonio (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 2/17)....Former Temple football player SHAHID PAULHILL is suing the Lions, "claiming a piece of falling metal struck him in the head at the Super Regional Combine at Ford Field" in April ‘14. Paulhill and his attorneys "are seeking in excess of $25,000 from the Lions and the Downtown Detroit Building Authority" (DETROIT NEWS, 2/18)....Roc Nation Sports has signed boxer DARMANI ROCK, whose professional debut "will come on a date to be announced." Rock won the '15 National Golden Gloves title and U.S. National Amateur super heavyweight title (ESPN.com, 2/16)....ESPN's STEPHEN A. SMITH last night made the Black History Month celebration keynote address at Middle Tennessee State Univ. (DNJ.com, 2/17)....Patriots QB TOM BRADY and his wife GISELE BUNDCHEN went skiing in Montana with BEN AFFLECK and JENNIFER GARNER (PAGESIX.com, 2/17)....Former UFC fighter RANDY COUTURE tonight will appear on an episode of Spike TV's "LIP SYNC BATTLE" at 8:00pm ET (EW.com, 2/17).....Patriots TE ROB GRONKOWSKI on April 14 will hold the inaugural Gronk Gala at Mercedes-Benz of Burlington, Mass. The event "will benefit the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 2/17).
