The ARIZONA REPUBLIC launched an extensive investigative series on the BCS titled: “BCS : The Money. The Games.” Craig Harris wrote a piece for the series under the header “BCS spending, gifts raise questions and criticism: College football's championship system is lucrative, but spending, gifts draw fire.” Harris wrote the extensive examination of the BCS bowls "raises questions about whether all universities have equal access to the championship and payouts, whether the bowls spend too much on salaries and gifts, and whether the spending is in line with their non-profit status" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/25).
COLOSSAL SCANDAL: In L.A., Paul Pringle reports L.A. City Controller WENDY GREUEL is "dispatching a team of auditors to pore over the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum's books because of a financial scandal that is already the subject of a criminal investigation." Records and interviews indicate that two private firms "set up for a former Coliseum events manager collected at least $1.8 million from rave concert promoters and other companies that did business at the stadium and companion Sports Arena" (L.A. TIMES, 9/26). In a front-page piece, Pringle & Lin II write under the header "Coliseum Officials Charged Taxpayers Thousands For Fill-Ups." Pringle & Lin II detail expenses charged to taxpayers by L.A. Coliseum officials, using receipts obtained through the California Public Records Act (L.A. TIMES, 9/26).
OFF TO SILICON VALLEY: In San Jose, Mike Rosenberg profiles former Cowboys Stadium GM JACK HILL, who the YORK family has tapped as "their go-to guy and owner representative in building the 49ers' $987 million stadium" in Santa Clara. Rosenberg notes after "building new homes for Dallas' four pro sports teams," Hill faces what may "be his biggest challenge: Scoring a new stadium for the 49ers." Cowboys Exec VP STEPHEN JONES said of Hill, "I think he's got to be one of the best in the business." There's nothing that he wouldn't do to get the job done" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/26).
NAMES: Burton Snowboards Founder & Owner JAKE BURTON "announced via company memo Friday night that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer." Burton said, "The bad news is that I have cancer. The good news is that it is as curable as it gets. ... I have three months of chemo ahead with the possibility of surgery along the way" (ESPN.com, 9/24)....Falcons and former Univ. of Alabama WR JULIO JONES "had a deal put into his endorsement contract with Under Armour that gives $25,000 in product each year for four years to the Foley High football team and the youth football teams in Foley and Eleberta" (AL.com, 9/25)....The personal memorabilia collection of late Baseball HOFer TED WILLIAMS, including his "Hall of Fame ring, an MVP award and a batting champion silver bat -- will go on the auction block next spring in Boston." The auction will be preceded "by a series of public viewings across the country" beginning Friday in San Diego (BOSTON HERALD, 9/26)....U.S. swimmer RYAN LOCHTE won the "Professional Athlete of the Year honor at the inaugural SPORTYs, the awards show hosted by the Central Florida Sports Commission." At the event, Celtics coach DOC RIVERS, former Florida Citrus Sports Exec Dir CHUCK ROHE and former NFLer RICKY WATTERS were all "inducted into the Central Florida Sports Hall of Fame" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 9/25)....The Orlando Magic Youth Foundation was announced "as the winner of the Rich DeVos Community Spirit Award" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 9/24).
IN MEMORY: Grambling State Univ. Assistant SID RODERICK MOSLEY, 38, passed away last week. Mosley also had served as Mississippi Valley State Univ. SID (SWAC).
