The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Sharon Terlep wrote U.S. District Judge CLAUDIA WILKEN "knows next to nothing about sports," which means she may be "perfect for the job in front of her: defining how college athletics should work." She has "drawn chuckles from the courtroom for asking basic sports questions," but when it comes to "deconstructing the oddities and contradictions of college athletics, Wilken has put lawyers for both sides on their heels with her polite, pointed questioning." Yet how Wilken "will rule is anyone's guess" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/28).
NOT SURPRISING NEWS FROM BERKELEY: KNBR-AM's Rod Brooks said Cal AD SANDY BARBOUR stepping down last week was "not surprising" because it was "either she step aside or they find a way to push her aside." Brooks: "There's been disenchantment with Sandy Barbour for a while. The main job of an athletic director is to raise funds, and she's had a hard time doing that. They obviously had some serious problems debt-wise with the stadium, and she was just never able to build a consensus." CSN Bay Area's Jim Kozimor said, "I don't want to just keep throwing shovels of dirt on her. I do want to say she did some very good things over at Cal, and we should point out that the Olympic sports were improved" ("Yahoo Sports Talk Live," CSN Bay Area, 6/27).
THE FISH THAT SAVED BOSTON: In Boston, Jack Thomas in a front-page piece profiled Suffolk Construction Co. Chair & CEO JOHN FISH and noted he is "arguably the most influential business leader in Boston." Fish is the "engine behind an idea that divides the city, but which he thinks could define it"-- the '24 Summer Olympic bid. Fish has "led the longshot bid past the first of many hurdles," with the USOC recently placing Boston on a "short list of candidates" to compete for the Games. To critics, it "seems an impossible, maybe ruinous dream, a distraction from the work needed to make a better city for those who live and work here." But who "exactly is going to say no to John Fish?" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/29).
OWNERS IN THE NEWS: Indians Owner LARRY DOLAN will be inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports HOF at its ’14 induction dinner on Sept. 18 (CLEVELAND.com, 6/29)….Lightning Owner JEFF VINIK “just jumped back into the race to control Channelside Bay Plaza,” a “dilapidated outdoor mall” in downtown Tampa. Court records show that Vinik’s CBP Development LLC “has the highest starting bid for Channelside in the auction coming on Wednesday” (TAMPABAY.com, 6/28)….Grizzlies Owner ROBERT PERA on Saturday “made his first post on Instagram,” with quick footage of him “flying in for a dunk, apparently at FedExForum’s practice facility” (COMMERCIALAPPEAL.com, 6/28).
NAMES: Nuggets G TY LAWSON is “an official part owner” in Chapel Hill, N.C.-based clothing store Thrill City. Lawson “debuted his own line of apparel at the store on top of the investment.” No dollar figures were announced (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/27)....Yankees SS DEREK JETER “celebrated his 40th birthday with his model girlfriend HANNAH DAVIS and stars” including Fox Sports’ MICHAEL STRAHAN and rapper SEAN “DIDDY” COMBS. The celebration began with “a dinner for 20 at Meatpacking hot spot Catch on Thursday, then headed to 14th Street club The Brickwood, where the party carried on until well after 2 a.m.” Jeter was “delighted when a custom-made cake was brought out, shaped like a movie reel showcasing some of the biggest moments of his illustrious career” (N.Y. POST, 6/28)....Marathon runner MEB KEFLEZIGHI, who won the ’14 Boston Marathon, will start the Peachtree Road Race on July 4 “dead last in the 60,000-runner field.” He will “raise money” for the Atlanta Track Club’s youth running program, Kilometer Kids, “based on the number of runners he can pass” (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 6/28)....Redskins QB KIRK COUSINS married JULIE HAMPTON Saturday night in Hampton’s hometown of Atlanta (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 6/29).
