In Phoenix, Craig Harris reports former Fiesta Bowl President & CEO JOHN JUNKER is "expected to enter a plea bargain with the Arizona attorney general, admitting he solicited employees to make campaign contributions that the bowl later reimbursed." Junker's attorney said that he "had agreed to plead guilty to a felony for his role in the scheme." If a judge "agrees to the deal, Junker could face 2½ years in prison upon sentencing." His plea comes "nearly a year after he was fired in March 2011 following an independent investigation by the bowl" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/21).
SPEAKING UP: In Orlando, Iliana Limon reports former Univ. of Central Florida AD KEITH TRIBBLE yesterday "responded to NCAA allegations of major recruiting infractions that cost him his job." Tribble was "forced to resign after the NCAA asserted he helped former AAU basketball coach KEN CALDWELL, who was allegedly working for a professional sports agent, and former college basketball player BRANDON BENDER steer recruits to UCF." Tribble's response to the NCAA states that he is "embarrassed by his lack of knowledge of NCAA recruiting rules he should have been familiar with while serving" as UCF AD. It also states that he was "not aware Caldwell and Bender were violating NCAA rules actively promoting UCF." His statement adds that he "did not violate the NCAA's principles of ethical conduct and provide false or misleading information to investigators, a charge that prompted UCF President JOHN HITT to seek his resignation in November" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/21).
HOUSE HUNTERS: Property records indicate that Cardinals OF CARLOS BELTRAN has listed his Sands Point, New York, home for $5.8M. The 7,500-square-foot home includes a karaoke bar (NEWSDAY.com, 2/20)....Ohio State Univ. football coach URBAN MEYER's Haile Plantation, Fla., home is on the market for $1.7M. The 6,719-square-foot house was built in '06 and has six bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms. It is located in a gated community near the home of Univ. of Florida men's basketball coach BILLY DONOVAN (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 2/18)
NAMES: The Atlanta Sports Council yesterday named Hawks F AL HORFORD its '12 Sports Person of the Year, an award given annually to a person who has made a positive impact in sports and the community (AJC.com, 2/20)....The Montreal City Council unanimously approved a motion yesterday to "offer condolences to the family" of late Baseball HOFer GARY CARTER, 57, who passed away from brain cancer last week. The motion also "calls for the city to find a street or place to name in his honour" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 2/21)....Pro Football HOFer DEION SANDERS is opening the Prime Prep Academy, a "tuition-free charter school with campuses in Ft. Worth and Dallas." Open enrollment "begins March 1" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 2/21)....Patriots reps will appear at the New Hampshire statehouse this week to lobby "for a special license plate to benefit the team's charitable foundation" (AP, 2/20)....UFC fighter JON "BONES" JONES will serve as honorary race official for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (Daytona International Speedway)….Easton-Bell Sports announced a partnership with non-profit Good Sports where Easton-Bell will provide sports equipment to Good Sports’ programs nationwide (Easton-Bell Sports)….Patriots QB TOM BRADY and wife GISELE BUNDCHEN are vacationing in Costa Rica at the “surfside compound where they got married” in ’09 (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/21).
