In Knoxville, Josh Flory noted Browns Owner JIMMY HASLAM III is "returning to the role" of Pilot Flying J CEO. He replaces former PepsiCo President JOHN COMPTON, whose hiring "was announced in September." Haslam yesterday said that he "missed being CEO" and noted that a team of execs "has been hired to run" the Browns since he bought the team last year. Haslam said, "This is about me realizing my first love is running Pilot Flying J and wanting to return to that job" (KNOXNEWS.com, 2/11).
ON THE RISE: USA TODAY's Berkowitz & Upton reported new coaches at major college football programs "will be paid an average" of about 7% more next season than what their predecessors made last year. The increase in "average basic compensation is significantly lower than the one that occurred among schools with head coaching changes following the 2011 season." However, the "recent round of moves included an unusually large number of schools hiring head coaches of other schools." That set of transactions, which often results in buyout fees to former schools, "will result in a major rise in another form of compensation" (USA TODAY, 2/12).
BOOK SHELF: In San Diego, Tom Krasovic noted former NFL coach MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER's biography "Martyball!" gives Chargers fans an opportunity to "learn more" about him in his five years as Chargers coach. The book makes former GM A.J. SMITH come off as "aloof, uncommunicative and stubborn" (UTSANDIEGO.com, 2/11)....Simon & Schuster, publisher of former MLBer MIKE PIAZZA’s new book “Long Shot,” made it “clear that Piazza would grant no interviews to the print media before or after” a book signing yesterday in N.Y. There were about “200 or so fans waiting for Piazza’s signature” and none of them “seemed to be too worried about his andro use, or about any doping suspicions” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/12).
AWARDS & HONORS: The Oregon Sports Awards on Sunday named Gold Medal-winning U.S. decathlete ASHTON EATON and Gold Medal-winning U.S. women’s soccer team MF MEGAN RAPINOE recipients of the state’s Harry Glickman Pro Athletes of the Year award. Heat coach ERIK SPOELSTRA and Eagles coach CHIP KELLY shared the Slats Gill Sportsperson of the Year Award (PORTLANDTRIBUNE.com, 2/11)….Sources said that the Univ. of Maryland has “finalized plans to honor former basketball coach LEFTY DRIESELL with a bronze relief that will hang at Comcast Center” (BALTIMORESUN.com, 2/11)....The Chabad Center for Jewish Discovery and Preschool of the Arts in N.Y. will honor Knicks G JASON KIDD (N.Y. POST, 2/11).
TEE TIME: Pro Football HOFer MARSHALL FAULK will replace Saints QB DREW BREES as host of a celebrity golf tournament scheduled for May 16-19 at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. Brees and his foundation in December "sued tournament organizer DAVID MILLER" and his firm, Integrated Sports Marketing, in San Diego Superior Court, saying that he "cheated benefactors of the foundation out of thousands of dollars he kept for his company" (AP, 2/11)....Jaguars K JOSH SCOBEE has organized the first "NFL Specialist Golf Tournament" for Feb. 23-24 at the TPC Sawgrass Dye's Valley course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (JACKSONVILLE.com, 2/9).
NAMES: Penguins G MARC-ANDRE FLEURY has "committed to spending" $500 per game to give four fans glass seats. The gate price for each seat is $125, and Fleury "will spend" about $11,000 this season. Fleury: "I just thought it was important to do something extra for our fans. They are so great" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 2/10)....Agent SCOTT BORAS will open a "private fitness clinic" in South Florida for his clients who are based there. Boras has represented "many players with links to PEDs" but is "sincere in encouraging players to avoid that temptation" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 2/9)....Yankees President RANDY LEVINE “co-owns a five-year-old Labrador retriever named Mitch who has been entered into the Westminster Kennel Club’s show” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/11)….Bruins LW SHAWN THORNTON and Red Sox P CLAY BUCHHOLZ will “join forces to take over” a charity bowling bash that was previously hosted by Dodgers P JOSH BECKETT when he was playing in Boston. Meanwhile, Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT and his girlfriend RICKI NOEL LANDER attended the Grammy Awards on Sunday. Kraft is “a board member of Viacom, which owns CBS, the network that broadcasted” the show (BOSTON HERALD, 2/12)….SI Swimsuit model HANNAH DAVIS was seen on Saturday "having a cozy meal” with Yankees SS DEREK JETER (N.Y. POST, 2/12).
