Professional gambler BILLY WALTERS' trial on insider trading charges began this week, and a "pressing question" is whether PHIL MICKELSON will testify. Mickelson was "listed in a questionnaire given to prospective jurors in the Federal District Court in Manhattan" yesterday. On Monday, judge P. KEVIN CASTEL "dismissed one person from the jury pool who he said had a 'look of rapture' at the mention of Mickelson during the jury selection process" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/16). Mickelson "could swing the case" in either direction (NEWSDAY, 3/16). The prosecution and defense agreed that Mickelson is "pivotal to their case" (AP, 3/15).
NOT MINCING WORDS: Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN yesterday appeared at media company Axios' debut event, Get Connected, where he riffed on PRESIDENT TRUMP. Cuban compared Trump to BEN STILLER's protagonist in the '01 hit comedy, "ZOOLANDER." Cuban: "I'm serious. He's oblivious to everything. He reminds me of the coddled athletes that we have to deal with." Cuban: "This is a guy who called me on the phone and said we were the Bobbsey Twins. 'Oh, you're just like me, Mark. We're the Bobbsey Twins.' That's what he said. How scary is that. But the reality is 90% of the people who voted for him think he's doing a great job" (AXIOS.com, 3/16).
GREAT CAUSE: The Red Sox Foundation and the Foundation To Be Named Later will partner for a weekend of charitable events April 28-29 during the Cubs-Red Sox series at Fenway Park to raise funds for the two non-profits. FTBNL is Cubs President of Baseball Operations THEO EPSTEIN and his brother PAUL's charitable endeavor (Red Sox). On April 29, players from both teams "will participate in a special Red Sox and Cubs edition of the Hot Stove Cool Music series at the Paradise Rock Club" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/16).
NAMES: Former NBAer RUMEAL ROBINSON will be the “subject of an upcoming episode” of CNBC’s “AMERICAN GREED.” Monday's episode will “chronicle Robinson’s rise to stardom” during the Univ. of Michigan’s ’89 championship season and his “subsequent legal troubles that led to prison time” (MLIVE.com, 3/15)....MLB player agent BART HERNANDEZ and trainer JULIO ESTRADA were “found guilty” yesterday of “smuggling Cuban baseball players into the United States in a fraudulent scheme designed to capitalize on the defectors’ major league contracts" (MIAMI HERALD, 3/16)....Surfer KELLY SLATER is asking Palm Beach County for “permission to build a wave park on 80 acres at the industrial park.” The project is being named Surf Ranch Florida. Slater already has “built one wave park, in rural California” (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 3/16)....The NCAA case tied to the Univ. of North Carolina’s “multi-year academic scandal has hit another delay.” UNC spokesperson JOANNE PETERS in an email wrote that UNC “hasn’t submitted its response due this week to five charges after consulting with the NCAA and is ‘awaiting guidance ... on a new schedule’ from the infractions committee” (AP, 3/15)....Oracle has created the Oracle U.S. Tennis Awards, two $10,000 player grants that will be awarded annually at the BNP Paribas Open to assist young U.S. players (Oracle).
