In Boston, Bob Hohler cited sources as saying that the Int'l Tennis HOF is investigating allegations that BOB HEWITT "sexually abused nearly a dozen girls he coached in South Africa and the United States from the 1970s to 1990s." The HOF launched the inquiry "after drawing criticism throughout the tennis community for dropping its plan last year to investigate the scandal." The organization has hired Boston law firm Hinckley, Allen & Snyder "to conduct the investigation and present its findings [when] the hall’s board of directors meet later this month in Newport, R.I." (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/3).
WINNING COMBINATION: Red Sox 1B ADRIAN GONZALEZ and Eastern Bank yesterday announced that they will award $2,500 in cash to the winner of the "Mentoring Wins" sweepstakes, which will also "raise funds for five youth mentoring programs in Eastern Massachusetts." In Boston, Ira Kantor notes Gonzalez and Eastern Bank together will "donate $5 per entry for the first 6,000 total sweepstakes entries received to a fund that will be distributed evenly among the programs." Gonzalez and Eastern Bank "kicked off the sweepstakes by making a combined $20,000 to start the fund" (BOSTON HERALD, 7/3).
HEADED ON TOUR: Vikings coach LESLIE FRAZIER, NFL Jets Special Teams Assistant coach BEN KOTWICA, and former NFL coaches BILL COWHER and ERIC MANGINI this week are visiting U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf as part of the third-annual NFL-USO Coaches Tour. Past head coach participants have included the Giants' TOM COUGHLIN, the Broncos' JOHN FOX, the Ravens' JOHN HARBAUGH, the Texans' GARY KUBIAK, the Bengals' MARVIN LEWIS, the Eagles' ANDY REID and the Cardinals' KEN WHISENHUNT (AP, 7/2).
TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY: E! Entertainment last night aired “Tim Tebow’s Wild Rise,” which examined the rise of Jets QB TIM TEBOW from his birth to missionary parents, to his turn as a star quarterback at the Univ. of Florida to his status as a pop culture icon. ESPN Radio’s DARIUS WALKER said, “He’s one of the few athletes that has fans outside of his sport.” Time.com columnist GARY BELSKY noted Tebow’s ’10 Super Bowl ad for Focus on the Family is a “great example of his polarizing ability in that it was essentially a pro-life ad.” ESPN’s SKIP BAYLESS: “There was so much that so many people didn’t like about him and so much that other people loved about him that it made him the most loved and despised figure, not just in sports but in this country” ("Tim Tebow's Wild Rise," E!, 7/2).
NAMES: The MLS Portland Timbers and adidas recently presented a $40,000 check to the Forest Heights Soccer Club to aid the renovation of the soccer field next to Forest Park Elementary School in Portland (OREGONLIVE.com, 7/2)....The Herbert A. Fritch Family Foundation has increased to $2.9M its contribution to the Duluth Heritage Sports Center. Predators investor HERB FRITCH contributed $1M in '10 and the latest gift allows the $18M multi-use facility to pay down most of its remaining debt (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/3)....Baseball HOFer JIM PALMER is auctioning off his three Cy Young Awards and two of his four Gold Glove awards. Palmer said that the auction will help him care for his 15-year-old autistic stepson and his grandchildren. A portion of the profits will also go to the autism project of Palm Beach County (Fla.) (Baltimore SUN, 7/2)....Full Tilt Poker Founder RAYMOND BITAR allegedly owes $350M to Internet poker players and was arrested yesterday in N.Y. as he returned to the U.S. (L.A. TIMES, 7/3)....A billboard along Interstate 5 in Oceanside, Calif., reads "'In Memoriam Junior Seau,' on the top with the message 'Rest in Peace' and, '1969-2012.'" The billboard was a "surprise to Seau's family, who said it didn't know who put it up or why" (NCTIMES.com, 6/30)....Friends and associates of late Raiders Owner AL DAVIS will gather in Las Vegas this week to memorialize him (NFL.com, 7/2)....Lightning Owner JEFFREY VINIK has joined the Duke Univ. BOT (BAYNEWS9.com)....Eagles QB MICHAEL VICK married longtime girlfriend KIJAFA FRINK last weekend. Redskins CB DEANGELO HALL, free agent WR PLAXICO BURRESS, Vick's agent JOEL SEGAL and Reid attended the wedding (N.Y. POST, 7/3).
