USA TODAY’s Rachel George reports a third college football national title in four years “means an additional bonus” for Alabama coach NICK SABAN. Saban “earned an additional $200,000” for his team’s win over Notre Dame last night. Combined with bonuses for winning the SEC Championship and qualifying for a BCS game, Saban’s “total reaches $525,000.” His contract also “includes bonuses for academic performance and coach of the year awards, which have not yet been decided” (USATODAY.com, 1/8).
BCS LOVE: ESPN’s DICK VITALE and former TV host REGIS PHILBIN before the BCS National Championship game “embraced backstage as a pep rally rolled on at Bayfront Park in Miami” (USA TODAY, 1/8)….ESPN's JON GRUDEN attended WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” event in Tampa last night (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 1/7)….Three auto assembly plants in Alabama operated by Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai closed down last night to allow employees to watch the BCS National Championship game. Plant representatives were “quick to point out that they made up the work on another day” (AL.com, 1/7).
NAMES: Int'l Sports Agency has signed North Carolina RB GIOVANI BERNARD for representation. Bernard will be represented by ISA NFL agent BARDIA GHAHREMANI (Liz Mullen, SportsBusiness Journal)....Vail Resorts Chair & CEO ROB KATZ rang the NYSE opening bell yesterday (VAIL DAILY, 1/8)….After a fire broke out at a boutique hotel in the ski town of Courchevel, France, about thirty guests of Nets Owner MIKHAIL PROKHOROV where among 150 hotel guests who “had to be temporarily evacuated” (N.Y. POST, 1/8)….Heat F MIKE MILLER sold his Pompano Beach, Fla. home for “about $2 million below its previous purchase price.” The house was “originally listed at nearly $8 million” (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/7)….Former soccer player RONALDO, owner of marketing agency 9ine, is to "begin working closely with SIR MARTIN SORRELL within the coming months, taking a job placement alongside the chief executive of WPP, the world’s largest advertising group by revenues" (FT.com, 1/7)….Colts offensive coordinator BRUCE ARIANS last night was discharged from the Univ. of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. It is “believed he is dealing with an inner-ear infection” (INDYSTAR.com, 1/7)….Dr. JAMES ANDREWS’ new book, “Any Given Monday: Sports Injuries And How To Prevent Them, For Athletes, Parents And Coaches -- Based On My Life In Sports Medicine,” hits shelves today (TULSA WORLD, 1/8)….Salt River Project’s BOD yesterday gave final approval to donate $1M in cash and services to the nonprofit group helping produce the '15 Super Bowl in Glendale (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/8).
