Eleven months after leading San Diego State to a 27-win season, women’s basketball coach BETH BURNS "filed a lawsuit against the school Wednesday for wrongful termination." The suit has "similar wording to the employment claim" Burns filed against the California State Univ. system in October. Burns "technically retired last April after 16 seasons at SDSU following a meeting" with AD JIM STERK. Burns claims she was "given the choice of resignation, termination or retirement because she had 'struck a subordinate'" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/20).
A GOOD WALK SPOILED? Falcons Owner ARTHUR BLANK, who owns the PGA Tour Superstore chain, said the golf industry "needs to focus on ways to make the game more fun." Blank: "That might mean different equipment to make the game easier for new golfers" (GOLF DIGEST STIX, 2/19 issue).
THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING: Yankees SS DEREK JETER "tried to call" Managing General Partner HAL STEINBRENNER the "night before he released his retirement announcement on Facebook, but he was unable" to get ahold of him. Steinbrenner said that he "saw a number from an unfamiliar area code and sent the call to voicemail, and didn’t retrieve the message until the following morning." By that time, Jeter had "texted him and the two had already spoken" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/20). Meanwhile, sources said that Jeter is "reconciling" with girlfriend HANNAH DAVIS "following a brief split" (N.Y. POST, 2/20).
NAMES: F1 CEO BERNIE ECCLESTONE has "won a multimillion-dollar case at London's High Court" relating to the sale of F1 in '05. However, the judge said that it was "a corrupt deal." Ecclestone was accused by former F1 Owner CONSTANTIN MEDIEN of "entering into a 'corrupt agreement' with a banker to facilitate the sale of the Formula 1 Group to a buyer chosen by him." Britain's High Court ruled today that the deal "was corrupt," but said that Medien "did not lose out as a result" (AP, 2/20)....Former Georgia Tech AD HOMER RICE will be inducted into the Georgia Sports HOF on Saturday (AJC.com, 2/19)....Former Charlotte Observer motorsports reporter TOM HIGGINS on Tuesday was honored with the annual Victory Lane Racing Association award at the Pelican Bay Country Club in Daytona Beach (CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.com, 2/19)....Ducks assistant coach BRAD LAUER yesterday helped paint the walls at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim. He was "among 50 volunteers, including Ducks and Honda Center staffers and fans," who helped out (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 2/20)....T'Wolves F KEVIN LOVE gets a makeover in the February edition of GQ’s "Project Upgrade" feature (THE DAILY)....Former MLBer MANNY RAMIREZ will "now be represented by ALEX ESTEBAN of Miami Sports Management" (TWITTER.com, 2/17)....Bears WR DEVIN HESTER has "a contract pending" to sell his seven-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot home in Riverwoods, Ill., which is currently listed for just under $2M (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 2/19).
