Fox Sports' charitable initiative, Fox Sports Supports, is partnering with four new organizations for its '11 campaign, kicking off this weekend at the Daytona 500 with NASCAR on Fox' partnership with The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps. Fox also has partnered with Stand Up to Cancer for the MLB season, the Armed Forces Foundation for the '11 NFL season and the About Dream Foundation for the Big Ten and Pac-12 football conference championship games and the AT&T Cotton Bowl (Fox Sports).
FULL DISCLOSURE: In Phoenix, Craig Harris reports the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has disclosed to the IRS that it is "reviewing expenditures related to political campaigns and that 'one or more' key officials may have received excessive benefits." The disclosures, revealed in the bowl's '09-10 federal tax returns filed Tuesday, "also show that the organization's top two executives received substantial raises, and a pair of major contractors were paid significantly more than the previous year." Earlier this week, the bowl placed President & CEO JOHN JUNKER on "paid administrative leave while an independent internal investigation examines allegations he was involved in improper political-campaign contributions and questionable expense reimbursements" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/18).
FIRST A LOGO, NOW A STATUE: The Lakers Thursday unveiled a new statue for JERRY WEST at Staples Center. The 14-foot statue, built by JULIE ROTBLATT AMRANY and OMRI AMRANY, joins similar ones at Staples Center's Star Plaza for MAGIC JOHNSON, WAYNE GRETZKY, CHICK HEARN and OSCAR DE LA HOYA (L.A. TIMES, 2/18). The statue features West dribbling, though he said that he "might have chosen to be pictured in the middle of his famously smooth jump shot" (ESPNLA.com, 2/18).
SAVVY INVESTMENT: In St. Paul, Ray Richardson profiles T'Wolves F ANTHONY TOLLIVER, who claims that he has "become so versed on money matters that he can dissect stock market listings and determine which ventures are worth buying or selling." Two years ago, Tolliver started Say You Can LLC, a real estate business, and last year "unveiled Ad Solutions Group, a direct advertising company" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/18).
NAMES: Detroit Free Press columnist and author MITCH ALBOM on Thursday "introduced the cast and director" of the forthcoming play "ERNIE," his tribute to late Tigers announcer ERNIE HARWELL. Albom said that he wrote the play "with hopes the story would resonate deeply with ... baseball-loving fans" in Michigan (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/18)....Milwaukee-based Pak's Jewelers has sued JOE JOHNSON, claiming that the Hawks G last year "ordered nearly $75,000 worth of custom jewelry" from the store and "never paid any" of the balance (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/18)....Yankees 3B ALEX RODRIGUEZ has purchased a 3,600-square-foot apartment in The Rushmore building on Manhattan's Upper West Side (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/18)....Celtics President RICH GOTHAM is "training for his first complete triathlon" on July 23 (BOSTON HERALD, 2/18).
IN MEMORY: Former Cavaliers GM & coach DON DELANEY passed away Wednesday at the age of 75 (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 2/18).
