League Notes
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Judge Rules On Amount Donaghy
Must Pay NBA In Restitution |
U.S. District Judge Carol Amon yesterday in N.Y. ruled that the NBA is "entitled to a total of $217,267 in restitution from" former NBA referee Tim Donaghy and co-conspirators James Battista and Thomas Martino. Amon "rejected the NBA's earlier argument that it was entitled to nearly $1.4[M] in restitution," but ruled that Donaghy "alone must pay another $46,018.25" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 7/24).
FEELING RESTRICTED: SI.com's Allan Muir wrote of NHL restricted free agents (RFAs), "For one thing, the term 'restricted' when preceding 'free agent' is essentially obsolete." The "same market forces that determine the value of an unrestricted free agent are now applied to RFAs as well." There has been a "pattern of paying big bucks for players with more hopes and dreams than they have skins on the wall. The trend has been particularly conspicuous among blueliners." In "simplest terms, [teams are] speculating" (SI.com, 7/23).
FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT: SI.com's Josh Gross wrote UFC and Affliction, which Saturday night hosted dueling shows, by "any measure ... did well -- another indication that MMA, not just the UFC, has grown in popularity." But Gross added,"Neither card would have done any business if compelling fighters and interesting fights weren't offered. That's really the bottom line as far as I'm concerned. Give me the best fighting and the rest will sort itself out -- regardless of the brand or venue attached to the event" (SI.com, 7/23).
OUT TO THE BALL GAME: Minor League Baseball (MiLB) in June drew more than 8.2 million fans, raising the season total for '08 to nearly 23 million. This year's total of 22,722,519 fans through June was slightly ahead of '07, when MiLB set an attendance record for a fourth straight season (BASEBALLAMERICA.com, 7/22).
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