In Portland, John Canzano profiles Univ. of Oregon interim Dir of Major Gifts JIM BARTKO,who has gone "public with painful details of his own childhood molestation, battled alcohol, stared down anxiety ... and ultimately lost his job" as Fresno State AD. Bartko said, "I'm at peace with my life. I'm healthy. I've lost 20 pounds. I have a therapist. I have a nutritionist. I'm in such a better place. Now, I know how to deal with things when I get those kinds of panic attacks. When I have anxiety, I know what to do." He added, "Self medication was one of my coping mechanisms. I'd have a glass of wine at night because I couldn't sleep. That's fine. But then you start doing that and you mix that with Ambien or a Tylenol PM and it's not a healthy thing. That's not coping. It's refreshing to know that I can control what for so many years I couldn't control" (Portland OREGONIAN, 8/9).
FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS: Upstart MMA promotion Professional Fighters League has received a $28M "equity investment from a group that includes" Monumental Sports & Entertainment Founder, Chair & CEO TED LEONSIS, Riot Games co-Founder & CEO BRANDON BECK, MGM Worldwide Television Group Chair MARK BURNETT, actor KEVIN HART and self-help celebrity TONY ROBBINS. The PFL has a one-year deal with NBCSN for "carriage of its fights." Burnett "aims to develop a range of programming around PFL, starting with a 'Challengers Series' that would be an elimination-style competition" for the chance to join the league (VARIETY.com, 8/8).
NAMES: Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis honored Baseball HOFer OZZIE SMITH as the "first PGA Championship host city champion for his work in helping bring the event to St. Louis and for his remarkable work" with PGA of America's charitable foundation, PGA Reach (STLTODAY.com, 8/8)....LIL WAYNE's Young Money APAA Sports Group is "suing to recover a $40,000 advance" that Kings G FRANK MASON III received while he was with the agency, "as well as $52,000 in pre-draft expenses and a diamond chain worth $11,000." Mason "parted ways" with the agency in April, and his contract "stated he would have to return the money and the chain if he left the agency" (KANSASCITY.com, 8/8)....Golfer BRYSON DECHAMBEAU won Tuesday's Long Drive Contest at the PGA Championship and "plans to donate" all of his $25,000 winnings to the family of golfer JARROD LYLE, who died yesterday after three battles with leukemia (GOLFWEEK.com, 8/8)....Horse trainer BOB BAFFERT will be inducted into the NYRA’s Saratoga Walk of Fame on Aug. 24 (NYRA)….Former NBAer BEN WALLACE will drive the pace car at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan Int’l Speedway on Sunday (MIS)….Red Sox RF MOOKIE BETTS and his girlfriend, BRIANNA HAMMONDS, are expecting their first child in November (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 8/8)….IGGY AZALEA, who was previously engaged to Warriors G NICK YOUNG, is now dating Texans WR DEANDRE HOPKINS (NYPOST.com, 8/8).
IN MEMORY: The Blackhawks on Sunday will hold a public visitation for late Hockey HOFer, STAN MIKITA, who died Tuesday at the age of 78, at the United Center Atrium from 11:00am-4:00pm CT (AP, 8/8).
