USA Swimming Exec Dir CHUCK WIELGUS on Friday "publicly apologized to sexual abuse victims for the first time since the scandal came to light four years ago." Wielgus in a statement said, "I'm sorry. These are powerful words some people have wanted to hear from me for a long time. I have been criticized in blogs, and most recently in the petition opposing International Swimming Hall of Fame induction, for not apologizing for not having done more to prevent sexual abuse by coaches." Wielgus' induction earlier last week was "rescinded after a petition was filed by the Women's Sports Foundation" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 6/7).
ON THE RUN: The N.Y. Road Runners is putting its Upper East Side HQ "up for sale," listing the six-story townhouse at $24.8M. NYRR in an e-mail wrote, "We've outgrown our 89th Street building, and we will now be putting it up for sale." NYRR "mainly uses the building for member services, including the distribution of race bibs for runners." Most NYRR operations "have been moved to its Midtown office" (WSJ.com, 6/6).
NOT HOW HE DREW IT UP: YAHOO SPORTS' Rand Getlin noted NFL agent DREW ROSENHAUS "failed to get" Redskins WR DESEAN JACKSON a new contract prior to the '10 season when he was with the Eagles, and Jackson was "so angry over the botched holdout that he says he told Rosenhaus he was going to fire him, but ended up staying with the agent after Rosenhaus paid him and his family $143,088 to remain a client." NFLPA regulations prohibit agents from "providing or offering money or any other thing of value to any player ... to induce or encourage that player to utilize (his) services." Rosenhaus gave Jackson a "down payment of $50,000 cash around midnight, at a gas station parking lot, in a Louis Vuitton travel bag." He also gave Jackson a "$90,000 check, and a $200,000 interest-free loan." At "issue is whether Jackson must re-pay Rosenhaus given that the agent appears to have violated the NFLPA's regulations that prohibit agents from paying athletes to sign with them" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/8).
MAKING A PLEDGE: Kentucky women's basketball head coach MATTHEW MITCHELL and wife, JENNA, have pledged $1M over the next 10 years to the UK Athletics Department (UK)....Hawks G KYLE KORVER "paid for the floors" at Creighton's new $13M Championship Center practice facility (AJC.com, 6/6)....Dolphins OT JAKE LONG "has committed to giving" $1M to the North Star Reach in Pinckney, Mich., a camp for children "facing serious and life-threatening illnesses" (AP, 6/7)....Oregon booster ROBERT SANDERS is giving $10M to the university's softball program that could lead to the construction of a new ballpark (UO).
NAMES: Blackhawks TV play-by-play announcer PAT FOLEY was given the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for broadcasting on Thursday and will enter the Hockey HOF on Nov. 17 (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 6/6)....Auburn on Friday released details of football coach GUS MALZAHN's six-year, $26.9M contract in "response to open-records requests and disclosed that his assistants will get raises totaling $900,000." Auburn also released the contract for new basketball coach BRUCE PEARL, whose six-year deal is worth more than $15M (AP, 6/6)....About 20 Redskins on Thursday were joined by Wizards G JOHN WALL, DC Mayor VINCENT GRAY and others at team WR PIERRE GARCON’s All-White Charity Event to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington. The event raised $100,000 (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 6/6)….Broncos WR WES WELKER on Saturday at Belmont Park watched his horse, Undrafted, win the Grade 3 Jaipur Invitational (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/8)….Former tennis player MONICA SELES is engaged to former Sabres Owner and potential Bills bidder THOMAS GOLISANO (CSNBAYAREA.com, 6/8)….Red Bulls F THIERRY HENRY recently spoke to guests at a Beats by Dre event at the Bryant Park Hotel in N.Y. (NYPOST.com, 6/7)....The Red Sox drafted P BRADLEY WILPON on Saturday in the 36th round of the MLB Draft, but the grandson of Mets Owner FRED WILPON and son of COO JEFF WILPON "has committed to play baseball at Penn and still plans to be a Quaker" in '14-15 (ESPNNY.com, 6/7).
IN MEMORY: Int’l Motor Sports Association co-Founder JOHN BISHOP died on Thursday at the age of 87 after complications from a recent illness. He founded IMSA in ’69 with his wife, PEGGY, and late NASCAR Founder BILL FRANCE SR. (AP, 6/6).
