USA TODAY's Brent Schrotenboer reports after being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, LANCE ARMSTRONG "suddenly faces an increased risk of losing something far more tangible -- his personal fortune." It could "all hinge on what happens in the next few months, especially after an ominous message from a federal judge who recently ruled against him in U.S. District Court." Armstrong could "be on the hook" for nearly $100M if the government "prevails in its civil case against him and his co-defendants from the U.S. Postal Service cycling team." And "that's not all: Armstrong could be forced to fork over" more than $12M in a "separate case in Texas" (USA TODAY, 7/17).
FUN IN THE SUN: The Arizona State Univ. athletic department has "increased its senior staff payroll by more than $800,000" since the arrival of VP/Athletics RAY ANDERSON. He is "making $600,000 in base pay, up from the $450,000 base" for predecessor STEVE PATTERSON. Anderson also "received a one-time $200,000 signing bonus and has lucrative performance-bonus opportunities in his five-year contract." Anderson has "hired three new senior staff members," including Associate VP/Chief Business Development Officer GREG MCELROY ($350,000 annual salary) and Senior Associate ADs DAVID COHEN ($175,000) and SCOTTIE GRAHAM ($135,000) (AZCENTRAL.com, 7/16).
NAMES: Red Wings Owners MIKE and MARIAN ILITCH donated $8.5M to the Department of Surgery at the Wayne State Univ. School of Medicine to "create the Ilitch Chair for Surgical Innovation." The money will "establish an unrestricted fund to support research and development in surgical technologies" (FREEP.com, 7/16)....A number of MUHAMMAD ALI memorabilia items "are poised to fetch thousands of dollars in Lelands' '14 Spring Catalog Auction, which runs through July 25 (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 7/17)....Rodale Inc. announced that Rodale Books will publish “MEB FOR MORTALS” by ’14 Boston Marathon winner MEB KEFLEZIGHI, co-written by Runner’s World Senior Content Editor SCOTT DOUGLAS. The book is slated for publication in March ’15 (Rodale)….Broncos WR WES WELKER on Sunday will “ride in an F-16” over Cheyenne, Wyo., with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds (DENVERPOST.com, 7/16).
