The Federal Election Commission said that MLB "contributed too much to the campaign of Sen. JEFF SESSIONS." In DC, Emily Heil reported MLB's PAC "gave $5,000 to the Alabama Republican last year, and then in May, pitched it another five grand." But election law says that such PACs "can only give a total of $5,000 per candidate per election." The FEC in a letter "ordered baseball to get a refund" from Sessions' campaign. An MLB attorney said that it was "a technical error" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/22).
GREAT SCOTT: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Eriq Gardner reported the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday "affirmed the dismissal" of basketball HOFer SCOTTIE PIPPEN's complaint against NBCUniversal and other media outlets. His lawsuit "failed because as a public figure, Pippen couldn't make the case that the media acted with 'actual malice' when reporting about his financial state" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 8/22).
FEELING THE HEAT: In Columbus, Kathy Lynn Gray reports attorney ANDREW FINE on Thursday said that HAIDER ZAFAR, "charged with swindling a businessman out of $10 million in a real-estate scheme also ripped off" Heat players. Fine said former Heat F MIKE MILLER and "other Florida residents had invested" $8M with Zafar (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 8/23).
WARDROBE MALFUNCTION: Redskins QB ROBERT GRIFFIN III has been fined $10,000 by the NFL "for wearing unauthorized apparel during pregame warmups" prior to Monday night's game against the Steelers. It is "at least the second such fine" for Griffin, who endorses adidas. He was fined $10,000 by the league last December for wearing adidas apparel to a postgame news conference (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/22).
NAMES: Former TCU AD FRANK WINDEGGER is "one of nine new members" in the Class of '13 for the Texas Sports HOF. He spent "45 years as a TCU athlete, coach and athletic director" (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 8/22)....PHIT America, a non-profit organization designed to combat the nation's obesity epidemic, named former NFLer HERSCHEL WALKER and former tennis players MIKE and BOB BRYAN as its first celebrity ambassadors (PHIT America)....Former NFLer BERNIE KOSAR is "entering the premium steakhouse game." He will "lend his name" to Kosar's Wood-Fired Grill at the new Hard Rock Rocksino at Northfield Park in Ohio. The restaurant will "include memorabilia on display from Kosar's playing days" (OHIO.com, 8/22)....A’s broadcaster KEN KORACH interviewed "approximately 60 people” for his upcoming book “HOLY TOLEDO -- LESSONS FROM BILL KING: RENAISSANCE MAN OF THE MIC.” The late Warriors, Raiders and A’s broadcaster, King was “a fixture in Bay Area broadcasting for more than four decades” (SFGATE.com, 8/22)….Int’l Tennis HOFer ANDRE AGASSI “was fined $15,000 on Thursday by the Nevada Gaming Commission for failing to report several ownership changes” in Flamingo Investments (REVIEWJOURNAL.com, 8/22)...Patriots QB TOM BRADY on Thursday “took the opportunity to visit” the Univ. of Michigan football team. Brady “spent time” with coach BRADY HOKE and addressed the team (BOSTON.com, 8/22)….Red Sox P JAKE PEAVY was seen “buying a Gibson guitar at the Guitar Center” near Fenway Park (BOSTON HERALD, 8/23).
