Former NFLer LAWRENCE TYNES "has sued" the Buccaneers for $20M in expected future earnings, claiming that "unsanitary conditions at the team's facility led to him contracting MRSA," ending his career. Tynes signed in '13 but "never kicked for the team." The lawsuit claims the Bucs "failed to disclose and actively concealed ongoing incidents of the infection among other individuals who used and visited the team's facilities." It also alleges that the team "failed to employ necessary sterile techniques and routinely left therapy devices, equipment and surfaces unclean" (ESPN.com, 4/6). Buccaneers Dir of Communications NELSON LUIS yesterday said that the team "had no comment." The team "identified at least three players" who were diagnosed with MRSA in '13: Tynes, OG CARL NICKS and CB JOHNTHAN BANKS. The team "claimed the cases were unrelated, although the club had the facility sanitized after the outbreak of bacterial infections" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/7).
FIRST SERVE: Roc Nation Sports agent and in-house counsel WAJID SYED will represent 17-year-old tennis player FRANCIS TIAFOE, who turned pro yesterday. Roc Nation announced yesterday that it had signed Tiafoe as its first tennis client. Tiafoe is considered a prodigy and was the youngest ever winner of the men’s Orange Bowl, when he was 15. Syed is a certified NBA agent and attorney, who owned his own agency, Warbux Sports & Entertainment, before joining Roc Nation Sports in '14. Tiafoe is Syed's first tennis client and Syed will focus on securing an apparel deal and racket deal as his first order of business (Liz Mullen, Staff Writer).
THE GOOD STUFF: Thunder G RUSSELL WESTBROOK "won a brand new Kia" for being named NBA All-Star Game MVP, and yesterday he "surprised a single mom named KERSTIN GONZALEZ with the car." Gonzalez has two sons, ages 4 and 6, and the Thunder said that her car "had not been in good shape." The team added that she had been "borrowing vehicles from family and friends to get to work and school." When Westbrook "surprised Gonzalez with the keys to his car," she "initially thought" it was a prank (HUFFINGTONPOST.com, 4/7)....The Marine Corps "renamed a sports center at its San Diego recruit depot" for late Padres announcer JERRY COLEMAN, who died last year. The facility, "formerly known as the Semper Fit Field House," is now called the Jerry Coleman Center (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 4/4).
NAMES: Hurricanes Owner PETER KARMANOS JR. was awarded $16.5M in the "first round of a legal battle with Detroit-based Compuware." However, Compuware is contesting the ruling and "wants the settlement reduced" to $4.1M (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/7)....The daughter of writer FRANK PETRELLA, who collaborated with boxer JAKE LAMOTTA in the making of "RAGING BULL," has "ended her longtime sparring match with Hollywood." PAULA PETRELLA "has been seeking" more than $1M for "infringement of her dad's screenplay" (N.Y. POST, 4/7)....Former NFLer SHAWNE MERRIMAN and his company, Lights Out Holdings, yesterday moved for summary judgement in their ongoing legal battle with Nike. The motion seeks $18M in statutory damages as well as Nike's gross profits on a false endorsement claim, along with attorney's fees (Lights Out)....SEC Network analyst TIM TEBOW "will be the guest of honor and keynote speaker" at the Salvation Army of Manatee County's second annual "Evening of Hope" event May 15 in East Bradenton, Fla. (JACKSONVILLE.com, 4/6)....Texans DE J.J. WATT and tennis player CAROLINE WOZNIACKI sat beside each other at last night's Duke-Wisconsin national championship game. Packers QB AARON RODGERS was also in attendance, "though this time without" actress and girlfriend OLIVIA MUNN. Duke alum and Apple CEO TIM COOK was also there (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/6).
