New Jersey Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE during the '10 and '11 NFL seasons "racked up an $82,594 bill from the concessions operator at MetLife Stadium," according to a report by New Jersey Watchdog. Christie "used a debit card on 58 occasions to pay Delaware North Sportservice" at the venue (POLITICO.com, 5/11). NBC’s JIMMY FALLON last night joked, “Christie spent $82,000 at a concession stand at MetLife Stadium. Then he turned to his friends and said, ‘You guys want anything?’” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 5/11).
BLUE DEVIL OF A TIME: Following Duke Univ.'s commencement ceremony on Sunday, "many departments held receptions and ceremonies to honor graduates," and among them was the Political Science department, which presented NBA Commissioner ADAM SILVER with its Distinguished Alumni award. Meanwhile, former NBAer SHANE BATTIER on Saturday "addressed graduates of the Fuqua School of Business at multiple ceremonies at Cameron Indoor Stadium." This year's primary Duke commencement was held at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, but the ceremony "is expected to return to Wallace Wade Stadium next year after construction is complete" (DUKECHRONICLE.com, 5/11).
THE GIVING TREE: Buccaneers co-Chair BRYAN GLAZER has pledged $4M to help transform the historic Ft. Homer Hesterly Armory into a new Tampa Jewish Community Center. The new facility will bear his name (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/12)....Falcons Owner ARTHUR BLANK announced that the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation was making a $2M commitment to the College Football HOF in Atlanta, with funds going toward the HOF's "continued development," as well as to charitable and civic initiatives (AJC.com, 5/11)....The '14 Tour Championship generated a record $2.2M for local charities (PGA Tour).
COURT REPORT: Freelance journalist LAURA ROBINSON "is dropping her lawsuit" against the PR company that reps former VANOC CEO JOHN FURLONG, but she is "proceeding with her main allegation" that he defamed her. Robinson "alleges that she was defamed by public comments Furlong made in the wake of a September 2012 story she wrote for the Georgia Straight newspaper alleging he had physically abused a number of students he taught more than 40 years ago." Furlong "filed his own defamation suit against Robinson but later dropped the case" (Vancouver PROVINCE, 5/12)....A Wayne County (Mich.) court yesterday "upheld an arbitrator’s decision for Compuware to award" Hurricanes Owner PETER KARMANOS JR. $16.5M for "wrongly firing him and taking away his stock options" in '13 (DETROIT NEWS, 5/12).
NAMES: The Univ. of Nebraska starting this month will be paying former football coach BO PELINI monthly installments of $128,009 through February '19. NU "was able to agree to final terms with Pelini after he recently signed his four-year contract with Youngstown State, which will pay him $213,894 annually." Pelini made $3.075M in his final year at NU (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 5/12)....Former MLBers DUSTY BAKER and BARRY BONDS, NBC golf broadcaster ROGER MALTBIE, skier JONNY MOSELEY and late Warriors Owner FRANKLIN MIEULI last night were inducted into the Bay Area Sports HOF (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/12)....Former MLBer JIM EDMONDS and his wife, MEGHAN, "will be featured on the new season of 'THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY'" (STLTODAY.com, 5/11)....Bears QB JAY CUTLER's wife, KRISTIN CAVALLARI, yesterday "announced through her official app" that they are expecting a third child (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 5/11).
