In N.Y., Thompson & O'Keeffe report a federal grand jury in Chicago "indicted sports memorabilia executives BILL MASTRO and DOUG ALLEN on fraud charges, alleging that the pair ... routinely defrauded customers, rigged auctions and inflated prices paid by unwitting bidders." The indictment states that Mastro "altered the world's most expensive baseball trading card, the HONUS WAGNER T206 that has fetched millions in a series of high-profile sales" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/26).
GOING BEYOND SPORTS: NASCAR Chair & CEO BRIAN FRANCE and NASCAR Managing Dir of Green Innovation Dr. MICHAEL LYNCH yesterday spoke at the Beyond Sport summit in London, as part of a panel discussion titled "Mobilizing Millions," which highlighted NASCAR's "efforts in green, diversity and charitable giving" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 7/26)....Beyond Sport yesterday named the Grizzlies the Sport Team of the Year. The NBA club beat out four other finalists: the Celtics, EPL clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and Australian field hockey club North Queensland Rubies (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 7/26). SportsBusiness Journal's Tripp Mickle looks at the Beyond Sport event and also talks to France about his participation in the event.
GIVING BACK: A Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL editorial states Baseball HOF broadcaster TIM MCCARVER's recent pledge to "donate an unspecified amount of money to build a ballpark or ballparks in Memphis ... is welcomed and will be an important arrow in Major League Baseball's quiver to get more African-Americans as serious about baseball as they are about basketball and football." The editorial: "It won't be easy. In Memphis, for example, only a handful of high schools emphasize baseball. McCarver's pledge could be a big step in changing that" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 7/26).
NAMES: Former Broncos GM TED SUNDQUIST recently announced the launch of TheFootballEducator.com, an internet resource "for sports managers, agents, players, team management and others who want a higher level look at the game" (THE DAILY)....Talent agency William Morris Endeavor is working with Patriots TE ROB GRONKOWSKI and his family "to develop a TV show, a book & speaking engagements" (TWITTER.com, 7/25)....The NHL Kings donated $10,000 to the Jessica Redfield Foundation college scholarship, which was created in honor of late hockey blogger JESSICA GHAWI, who was killed Friday during the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo. (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/25)....After Univ. of Washington football coach STEVE SARKISIAN yesterday met with 14-year-old San Diego football player TATE MARTELL and his family, Martell said that he "will sign" to play quarterback for the school beginning in '17. The news "raised eyebrows throughout college football." Martell is the "youngest player to commit publicly to UW, and among the sport's youngest ever" (SEATTLE TIMES, 7/26)....Clippers F CARON BUTLER has joined bike sharing program Bike Nation as a Community Ambassador in Anaheim (THE DAILY).
