A San Antonio man has been "charged with making a terroristic threat" heading into yesterday's Jaguars-Steelers playoff game. An affidavit obtained by San Antonio-based KSAT-ABC shows YUTTANA CHOOCHONGKOL last week made "multiple threats to kill NFL players, fans and himself" during the game. Choochongkol even "sent a message" to Pittsburgh-based KDKA-CBS detailing his threat. Heinz Field's director of security "received a threat the same day, uploaded to heinzfield.com, from the same username and IP address." KDKA and Heinz Field officials then "reported the IP address to the FBI, and that was tracked back to Worldwide Clinical Trials in San Antonio." Authorities identified Choochongkol as the suspect after "reviewing security camera footage and speaking to workers at the company" (PENNLIVE.com, 1/14).
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| Iger in FY '17 had a base salary of $2.5M and a performance-based bonus of $15.2M |
OF MICE & MAN: Disney Chair & CEO BOB IGER in FY '17 "saw his total compensation decline 17%" to $36.3M. The drop from $43.9M in FY '16 was "due in part to a smaller cash bonus to Iger that Disney said was the result of an 'absence of growth' in the fiscal year." Iger received a base salary of $2.5M, a performance-based bonus of $15.2M and equity-based compensation (including stock options) valued at $17.3M. His compensation also "includes sums for personal air travel, security and matched charitable contributions" (L.A. TIMES, 1/13).
GOING TO COURT: Georgia Tech basketball coach JOSH PASTNER has “filed a civil lawsuit” in Arizona against RON BELL and JENNIFER PENDLEY, “alleging defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy, aiding and abetting and injurious falsehoods and attempts to blackmail and extort both Pastner and his family.” Bell in a story published in November “admitted that he had provided extra benefits to two Georgia Tech players in violation of NCAA rules and alleged that Pastner knew about it and even tacitly encouraged him to help keep his players happy so they wouldn’t transfer.” Pastner “denied those claims” (USATODAY.com, 1/12).
NAMES: LA '28 Chair CASEY WASSERMAN has been named the L.A. Sports Council's Exec of the Year. He will be honored Feb. 6 at the Beverly Hilton (LASC)....Raptors G KYLE LOWRY will donate $1M to his alma mater, Villanova, which will name the men's basketball locker room the "Kyle Lowry Men's Basketball Locker Room" (Villanova)....Cardinals P ADAM WAINWRIGHT’s Big League Impact Karaoke night on Friday “raised $50,000” for St. Louis-based Crisis Aid Int’l, which works to rescue women from sex trafficking. The number “matches last year’s total raised” (STLTODAY.com, 1/15)....CARRIE UNDERWOOD will open Super Bowl LII next month with a video of her new song “THE CHAMPION” featuring LUDACRIS. NBC Sports also will incorporate the song into its coverage of the Pyeongchang Games (NEWSDAY, 1/13). Meanwhile, actor LESLIE ODOM JR. will perform “America the Beautiful” at the Super Bowl (STARTRIBUNE.com, 1/14)....Former Colts coach CHUCK PAGANO put out a “thank you” ad in Sunday’s Indianapolis Star for fans (INDYSTAR.com, 1/14).
