Univ. of St. Joseph men's basketball coach JIM CALHOUN hosted his Celebrity Classic tournament at the Golf Club of Avon on Sunday and Monday, which "benefits the Pat and Jim Cardiology Center at UConn Health." Some "notable former Huskies who have been annual participants did not come to the event this year," including Basketball HOFer RAY ALLEN, who has been an "outspoken critic of UConn in its ongoing contract dispute" with former men's basketball coach KEVIN OLLIE. No one "specifically told the organizers" of the Celebrity Classic that they were "boycotting the event over the UConn-Ollie controversy" (HARTFORD COURANT, 8/13).
LEGAL MATTERS: Sources said that a thief "smashed into" ALEX RODRIGUEZ' rental car Sunday night in S.F. "making off with an estimated half-million dollars worth of jewelry and electronics" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/13)....Former MLBer DOUG DECINCES was "sentenced by a federal judge in Santa Ana on Monday to eight months of home detention and ordered to pay a fine for his role in an insider-trading scheme" (LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM, 8/13).
NAMES: Texans co-Founder & Senior Chair JANICE MCNAIR is "making one of the largest donations ever by an NFL owner to a community project." McNair is donating $5.5M to Pro-Vision Inc. in the Sunnyside community, which will be "utilized to build housing for low-income community members" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/13)....New Univ. of Memphis AD LAIRD VEATCH's five-year contract will "pay him at least $500,000 annually" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 8/13)....Capitals VP/Communications SERGEY KOCHAROV won a $1M "prize in the July 27 Powerball drawing" (USA TODAY, 8/13)....Bruins coach BRUCE CASSIDY visited Patriots' Training Camp on Monday (NBCSPORTSBOSTON.com, 8/12)....Pistons F BLAKE GRIFFIN will be "on the dais" for the "THE COMEDY CENTRAL ROAST OF ALEC BALDWIN" (DEADLINE.com, 8/12).
IN MEMORY: Former Seattle SuperSonics TV broadcaster JIM MARSH died yesterday in Portland at the age of 73. Marsh was a “stalwart in the Seattle sports community.” He “spent 12 years serving as a color analyst” with the team (SEATTLE TIMES, 8/13).
