Franco (l) claims he tried to get out of a '17 match, but Roc Nation told him he had to proceedGETTY IMAGES
Boxer DANIEL FRANCO is "suing JAY-Z and Roc Nation Sports claiming the music mogul and his company negligently scheduled him for a trio of fights that led to a traumatic brain injury." Franco said he was a "promising young boxer" when he entered a four-year contract with Roc Nation in '15. He claims he "won his first five fights after signing the deal but suffered from the flu" before a fight scheduled for March 23, 2017. Franco said that he "tried to get out of the match," but Roc Nation "told him he had to proceed" (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 5/21).
COUNTER CHARGES: Arizona prosecutors have "filed criminal charges against a couple that accused" Georgia Tech men's basketball coach JOSH PASTNER of "sexually assaulting" a woman in a hotel room in February '16. Oro Valley Magistrate Court records show RON BELL was charged Friday with "providing false information to law enforcement and facilitation of a fraud scheme practice." Bell and his girlfriend, JENNIFER PENDLEY, are "accused of being 'engaged in a plan or scheme ... to allege a false, fraudulent accusation of sexual assault against Josh Pastner with the goal of obtaining an anticipated civil monetary settlement/judgement" (ESPN.com, 5/21).
HONORS & AWARDS: The Michigan Sports HOF unveiled this year's 10-member class that includes Olympia Entertainment President & CEO TOM WILSON, Turner basketball analyst GRANT HILL, former ESPN NFL analyst CHARLES WOODSON, former AP sports editor HARRY ATKINS and longtime Detroit News sports reporter MIKE O'HARA (DETROITNEWS.com, 5/21)....Former NFL official and former CBS rules analyst MIKE CAREY was inducted into the Santa Clara HOF (THE DAILY)....A's RF STEPHEN PISCOTTY was named the '19 recipient of the Hutch Award, which goes to the MLBer who "best represents the courage and dedication" of late former MLBer FRED HUTCHINSON (SFCHRONICLE.com, 5/21)....MICHAEL PHELPS was given the fifth annual Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion last night in Boston, earning the honor for his willingness to “share his story of depression and raise awareness of mental health issues” (AP, 5/22)....Pro Football HOFer LEE ROY SELMON will have a “statue unveiled next month in downtown Tampa.” The statue “will be commemorated June 7 in a ceremony at the Selmon Greenway" (THEATHLETIC.com, 5/20).
NAMES: Author JEFF BENEDICT’s biography of TIGER WOODS is being “turned into a scripted miniseries” after Benedict “struck a deal” with Wheelhouse Entertainment. The book, titled “TIGER WOODS,” is the “first project taken to market by Wheelhouse and Benedict” (DEADLINE.com, 5/21)....A distant relative of Chiefs S TYRANN MATHIEU is “free on bond after a recent arrest for suspicion of trying to extort” more than $1M from Mathieu (KANSASCITY.com, 5/21)....Browns DE MYLES GARRETT and Akron Public School officials broke ground yesterday at Ellet High School on the “new artificial turf field” that the Browns donated, which serves as the “home stadium for several schools” in the area (OHIO.com, 5/21)....Vice President MIKE PENCE visited with defending Indianapolis 500 champion WILL POWER in his West Wing office yesterday morning. In the evening, Pence and wife KAREN “made a surprise pit stop at the Indiana Society of Washington’s annual party celebrating the iconic event” (INDYSTAR.com, 5/21)....Former 49ers GM TERRY DONAHUE was released from a Southern California hospital yesterday after “undergoing surgery for an undisclosed form of cancer.” Donahue was Pro Football HOFer BILL WALSH’s Dir of Player Personnel from ’99-00 and “took over for Walsh” as 49ers GM in ’01 (MERCURYNEWS.com, 5/21).
