In Charlotte, Gary Wright reported NASCAR Chair & CEO BRIAN FRANCE "wants to scrap an agreement" with his ex-wife MEGAN FRANCE that calls for him to pay her a "total of $9 million as well as $32,500 a month in alimony for 10 years and $10,000 a month in child support." France claims that Megan has "breached their separation agreement, and he's fighting in court to get the deal rescinded." However, Megan's attorneys said that she "had not broken the separation agreement, and they accused Brian France of refusing to pay her the millions he'd promised in the agreement." Judge JENA CULLER Friday "ordered Brian France to pay his ex-wife alimony and child support in full and on time" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/11).
PAYMENT DUE: In L.A., Lisa Dillman reported an arbitrator Friday "awarded a little more than $13 million to former Clippers' general manager and coach MIKE DUNLEAVY, who the team stopped paying when he was fired" last March. The ruling was "issued about 14 months after Dunleavy filed for binding arbitration." Sources said that the $13M was for "everything Dunleavy was owed under his contract, including past compensation with interest and future accumulated compensation." It also "factored in deferred compensation from Dunleavy's tenure with the Clippers" (L.A. TIMES, 6/11).
CHARITABLE LEGACY: In Dallas, Lillian Mongeau reports Super Bowl XLV legacy program SLANT 45 "will start up again in the fall." The program was launched last summer, and organizers had "hoped the locally funded program would attract 20,000 students to put in 45,000 hours of community service." In the end, "more than 44,000 children put in nearly 446,000 hours." Mongeau notes the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee "will be dissolved in a few months, and the nonprofit Big Thought, which created SLANT 45, will take full control of the program." Big Thought SLANT 45 Project Manager AMANDA DUQUETTE said that SLANT, "or Service Learning Adventures in North Texas, will drop the '45' since it's no longer associated with the Super Bowl" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/13).
FINANCIAL COACHING: Patriots coach BILL BELICHICK spoke at the Pershing INSITE conference and said that “financial advisors and firms can apply many of the same techniques used in the NFL to grow their businesses to new levels.” Belichick said that he "learned two big lessons" from his earlier days of coaching the Browns. First, he said, “Delegate better. Try not to be as hands on.” Second, he said, “I understand better now what goes on off the field. There are other things that lead up to the game that are important” (FINANCIAL-PLANNING.com, 6/13).
THE BOOK ON SOCCER: In N.Y., Paul Tharp cited experts as saying that the book that launched soccer "153 years ago could fetch more than $5 million on the auction block, the highest price ever paid for sports memorabilia." Among the "likely buyers of the oldest known rule book governing soccer are a group of oil sheiks in Qatar -- eyeing the treasure as a centerpiece" for the '22 FIFA World Cup in the country. Sotheby's is "auctioning the rare rules book along with two handwritten drafts of the evolving rules and minutes upon which soccer is based." The auction is in London on July 14, and bidding "kicks off at" $2M (
N.Y. POST, 6/11).
NAMES: Univ. of Central Florida Associate AD/PR & Communications JOSEPH HORNSTEIN "was arrested on campus early Friday on a charge of driving under the influence" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/11)....Sports Illustrated writer ALEXANDER WOLFF and ESPN Radio NBA announcer JIM DURHAM have been selected to receive the '11 Curt Gowdy Media Awards from the Basketball HOF during enshrinement festivities Aug. 11-12 (Basketball HOF)....Auburn Univ. on Friday announced a new contract for football coach GENE CHIZIK, and the $3.5M annual salary makes him “one of the nation’s highest-paid football coaches, although he’s ‘only’ fourth in the SEC.” Chizik was guaranteed to earn about $2.2M in ’10, and made another $1.3M in bonuses tied in part to winning the BCS National Championship. He “could reach up to $4.5 million annually in total compensation in this latest contract” through ’15 (AL.com, 6/11)….Sources said that NFL Giants Chair & Exec VP STEVE TISCH will be the “first pro sports team owner to be part of the New York Marriage Equality campaign and is expected to release a video early next week” in support of gay marriage (N.Y. POST, 6/12)….Marlins Owner JEFFREY LORIA, musicians USHER, LIL WAYNE and GLORIA ESTEFAN, movie producer JERRY BRUCKHEIMER and Basketball HOFer BILL RUSSELL attended last night’s Mavericks-Heat NBA Finals Game Six at AmericanAirlines Arena (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 6/13).
PAYING TRIBUTE: Longtime Tampa Tribune sports editor and columnist TOM MCEWEN, who died earlier this month at the age of 88, “was remembered at a memorial service Friday.” Univ. of South Carolina football coach STEVE SPURRIER delivered one of the eulogies, and Buccaneers co-Chair BRYAN GLAZER, Lightning Founder PHIL ESPOSITO, former 49ers Owner EDDIE DEBARTOLO and former Rays Owner VINCE NAIMOLI were in attendance. McEwen deserves “a lot of credit for helping turn Tampa Bay into a sports community.” He “helped bring -- and keep -- the Bucs.” He also helped land pro soccer and hockey teams (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 6/11).
