NASCAR VP/Integrated Marketing Communications DAVID HIGDON said NASCAR Chair & CEO BRIAN FRANCE "does not plan to speak at nor attend" the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. USA Today's Brant James notes the denial follows a Bloomberg report that aides for DONALD TRUMP were "lining up sports notables including France to appear" at the convention (TWITTER.com, 6/29). The original report had France, MIKE DITKA, BOBBY KNIGHT and MIKE TYSON among the "slate of iconic sports figures" the Trump campaign was working to get to the convention next month (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 6/28). Trump himself last night denied Tyson "had been invited to speak" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 6/29).
VOICE TRAINING: ALAN ROACH "was announced Monday as the PA announcer at the new U.S. Bank Stadium." He has been the PA announcer at "eight Super Bowls and numerous other high-profile events." His "classic deep and smooth voice" should "play well." Roach "was the longtime public address announcer of the Broncos" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/28)....ANDY FROST "is out" as the PA announcer for Maple Leafs games at Air Canada Centre. Maple Leafs President BRENDAN SHANAHAN told Frost it "was not a 'firing' but the team was 'simply not renewing' his contract." Frost is the third PA announcer in the team's history (TORONTO STAR, 6/28).
GOLDEN BOY: Relativity Sports agent JOE SAMBITO reportedly "will not be going with" D-backs 1B PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT to Excel Sports Management. Goldschmidt will be going alone (TWITTER.com, 6/28). Meanwhile, Goldschmidt is partnering with the Univ. of Phoenix to "offer five full-tuition scholarships to Arizona residents." His efforts are part of the "Teaming Up for Education" scholarship program between the online university and the D-backs. This is Goldschmidt's "third year of being involved with the university's scholarship program" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/28).
THE GOOD STUFF: Golfer BUBBA WATSON donated $250,000 to a local West Virginia "Neighbors Helping Neighbors" organization to support the relief effort after recent flooding in the state. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour "is contributing $100,000 to the American Red Cross after the flooding forced it to cancel next week's Greenbrier Classic" (OHIO.com, 6/28)....The MLL Boston Cannons raised $120,000 to benefit the National Foundation for Cancer Research at the team's inaugural "Cannons fighting Cancer" game on June 23 (Cannons)....Rutgers football coach CHRIS ASH on Monday hosted 336 golfers at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in N.J. “in an event that raised $100,000 for charity” (NJ.com, 6/27)....Hendrick Motorsports Owner RICK HENDRICK last week bought Panthers TE GREG OLSEN’s ’69 Camaro for $100,000 at auction. All the sale’s proceeds benefited Olsen’s charity, the HEARTest Yard, a “nonprofit supporting programs at the Levine Children’s Hospital” in Charlotte (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/28)....Hornets Owner MICHAEL JORDAN “quietly stepped up to help fill a cash shortage for the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials this week in Charlotte.” The Hornets Foundation will cover the $10,000 cost “of closing ceremonies for the team trials Sunday” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/29).
NAMES: Texas A&M AD SCOTT WOODWARD “received a hefty raise” when he was hired in January. Woodward will “earn a base salary of $900,000 over the next five years.” The former Washington AD was “guaranteed $550,000 during his five-year deal that expired” in June ’15 (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/29)....A “long-missing visage of a bygone bridge is back on display on Pittsburgh’s North Shore -- and very near its original spot.” The Steelers will pay about $1M for the work, which began this spring. The sculpture “has been stored at Heinz Field” (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 6/28)....A source said that the activities of endocrinologist JEFFREY BROWN “are being examined as part of a continuing investigation” by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and Nike Oregon Project coach ALBERTO SALAZAR (N.Y. TIMES, 6/29)....The ECHL named Cincinnati Cyclones GM KRISTIN ROPP the recipient of its Exec of the Year award (ECHL)....Tigers LF JUSTIN UPTON and actress/singer VICTORIA JUSTICE “helped unveil JetBlue’s ‘Soar with Reading’ book vending machine program for kids.” The program “is expanding to Detroit with five book vending machines” across the city (MLIVE.com, 6/28)....Patriots WR JULIAN EDELMAN “will be taking over the annual Football 101 Women’s Clinic at Gillette Stadium this fall” (BOSTON HERALD, 6/29).
