Former NASL Ft. Lauderdale Strikers Owner and Traffic Sports USA President AARON DAVIDSON on Thursday "pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and wire-fraud conspiracy charges in federal court in Brooklyn" stemming from his role in the FIFA corruption case. His conviction was the 20th to "be announced" by the DOJ in its FIFA probe. Davidson "admitted to negotiating and paying" more than $14M in "bribes to soccer officials on behalf of Traffic Sports." Davidson said that he had "learned about the company’s practice of paying bribes for business" in '09 and that he had "begun participating in such schemes" in '12. He "faces up to 40 years in prison" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/21).
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| Melnyk in May '15 underwent a successful liver transplant surgery in Toronto |
SENSIBLE DECISION: Eighteen months after a donated liver from a stranger "saved the life" of Senators Owner EUGENE MELNYK, his case has "helped prompt Canadian transplant officials to accept that public pleas for living organ donors are ethical, legal and even beneficial, under the right circumstances" (OTTAWA SUN, 10/21).
GIVING BACK: Patriots QB TOM BRADY will narrate a video the Massachusetts State Police Museum is making to "celebrate the state police’s 150th anniversary that will feature hundreds of photos dating to 1865" (BOSTON HERALD, 10/21). Meanwhile, Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT on Thursday helped the Women's Lunch Place, a day shelter serving homeless women in Boston, prepare "meals and served lunch" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/21).
ENGLISH CHANNEL: NBC Sports Group was recognized Friday at the U.S. Embassy in London at an event "celebrating the growth" of the EPL in the U.S. Attendees included EPL Exec Chair RICHARD SCUDAMORE, NBC Sports President of Programming JON MILLER, and NBC Sports Group’s U.K.-based EPL announce team of ARLO WHITE, LEE DIXON and GRAEME LE SAUX. Rams Owner STAN KROENKE and NFL Giants Chair & Exec VP STEVE TISCH also attended (NBCSPORTS.com, 10/21).
NAMES: Gold Medal-winning U.S. Olympic athletes CLARESSA SHIELDS (boxing) and ASHLEIGH JOHNSON (water polo) on Wednesday were “recognized as Sportswomen of the Year for individual and team categories at the Women’s Sports Foundation’s annual dinner” (MLIVE.com, 10/20)....Late Bellator MMA athlete JORDAN PARSONS is the first fighter in the MMA industry to be "publicly identified as having been diagnosed" with CTE. Parsons was a "contract fighter" for Bellator and died in May (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/21)....The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston on Wednesday honored former NFLer WILLIE MCGINEST with the Tom Yewcic Man of the Year Award at the 21st Annual NFL Legends Night charity dinner (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/21)....Skateboarder TONY HAWK, appearing on HBO’s “Any Given Wednesday” this week, gave his “opposition” to the “vote on building a downtown Chargers stadium and convention center” in San Diego (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 10/21)....Trail Blazers G DAMIAN LILLARD’s debut album, “THE LETTER O,” was released last night. Lillard, who goes by Dame DOLLA., has guest appearances from LIL WAYNE, JUVENILE, RAPHAEL SAADIQ and JAMIE FOXX on the album (OREGONLIVE.com, 10/20).
IN MEMORY: Longtime Detroit Free Press sports columnist DREW SHARP died Friday morning "at his home" at the age of 56. Sharp "joined the Free Press" in '83 and "covered high school, college and pro beats before becoming a columnist." He "formerly was the beat writer" for Michigan State and the Pistons (FREEP.com, 10/21)....Houston sports broadcaster BOB ALLEN “died early Thursday after a 16-month battle with cancer” at the age of 70. Allen worked at KTRK-ABC “for more than 38 years,” and KHOU-CBS from ‘13-15 (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/21).
