VP JOE BIDEN will present the Jimmy V Award to TNT's CRAIG SAGER at the ESPYs on Wednesday in L.A. ESPY Exec Producer MAURA MANDT said that she and the V Foundation -- which "had previously worked with Biden -- sent a letter to his office on May 25 asking if Biden would consider presenting Sager with the award." Mandt: "Biden has been personally affected by this disease with the tragic loss of his son, BEAU. We felt that his commitment to fighting this disease and also the way he has spoken of being inspired by his son's valiant fight against it would make him a powerful presenter of the award" (SI.com, 7/10).
CAT'S IN THE BAG: Kentucky signed AD MITCH BARNHART "to a three-year contract extension" that will keep him with the school through June '22. The extension calls for annual payments of $840,000 in '19-20, $880,000 in '20-21 and $925,000 in '21-22. Barnhart was "already set to earn annual deferred compensation payments of $125,000 to be contributed to his retirement plan for remaining" UK AD on June 30 of each contract year through '19. The contract includes a retention bonus of $50,000 in '19, $75,000 in '20, $100,000 in '21 and $150,000 in '22 if he remains UK's AD on June 30 of each contract year (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 7/10).
GIVING BACK: Cavaliers G KYRIE IRVING and Foot Locker donated 190 pairs of his Nike signature shoes to the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland. The number of shoes represents the point total Irving scored during the NBA Finals (CLEVELAND.com, 7/9)....Broncos LB VON MILLER on Friday visited DeSoto, Texas, police HQ to "donate a new Ford Interceptor to the department and $25,000 to the DeSoto Fire Department." Miller's donation to the fire department "will fund 10 scholarships to attend the DeSoto Fire Academy" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/9).
NAMES: CBS BOD Vice Chair & Dir SHARI REDSTONE was "spotted chatting" with Red Sox Owner JOHN HENRY at Allen & Co.'s Sun Valley Conference last week (N.Y. POST, 7/9)....Former GE CEO JACK WELCH was spotted eating with former Red Sox President & CEO LARRY LUCCHINO and their wives at the White Elephant Hotel in Nantucket (POLITICO.com, 7/10)....Warriors G STEPHEN CURRY "will play in the American Century Championship," the celebrity golf event scheduled for July 22-24 in Stateline, Nev. (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/10)....Patriots QB TOM BRADY and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE "sat next to each other at UFC 200" on Saturday night (CSNNE.com, 7/10).
