Prosecutors in Florida are "attempting to elevate the prostitution-related charges" against Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT from "misdemeanors to felonies" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/29). Meanwhile, sources said that there was "no momentum" for Kraft to be named to the Pro Football HOF in '20, even with one voter "writing a glowing letter on Kraft's behalf." Kraft's legal incident is "still too fresh, and the voters didn't want it dominating the news cycle and taking attention away" from the inductees. Sources said that Patriots coach BILL BELICHICK is a part of the "'blue-ribbon panel' that selected the finalists," and he "never brought up Kraft as a candidate" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/29).
HONORING HER LEGACY: The family of CARLEY MCCORD, the late WDSU-NBC sports reporter who died in a plane crash on her way to cover LSU-Oklahoma, plans to honor her "through a memorial scholarship fund in her name at her alma mater," Northwestern State Univ. McCord's friend and fellow NSU alumna MARY MCCOWEN LEBLANC "created the namesake scholarship" yesterday through the school's Foundation and Alumni Association on the organization's website. The scholarship will "go to a woman pursuing a career in sports journalism at NSU," and the family will be "able to review applications and choose a recipient each year." A public memorial service is "being planned for next weekend in Baton Rouge in McCord's honor" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 12/30).
LEGAL MATTERS: A federal court judge has "dismissed a lawsuit against Pop Warner," saying two women who "sued the youth football organization failed to prove that their sons' deaths were directly linked to head trauma sustained a decade earlier as young players." The women had claimed that their sons' "brain trauma was caused by playing Pop Warner football and that trauma led to irrational behavior that contributed to their deaths." Judge PHILIP GUTIERREZ said that the mothers "did not show sufficient links between the head trauma their sons may have suffered while playing Pop Warner football and their behavior later in life." He added that they had "discounted other contributing factors, including the football that their sons played in high school and 'social and biological factors'" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/29).
NAMES: PRESIDENT OBAMA included two sports books within his annual list of best reads of the year. Making the list were "A DIFFERENT WAY TO WIN: DAN ROONEY'S STORY FROM THE SUPER BOWL TO THE ROONEY RULE," and "THE SIXTH MAN" (TWITTER.com, 12/28)....Clippers F PAUL GEORGE unveiled three new basketball courts at Domenic Massari Park in Palmdale, Calif., as part of a "larger effort between his foundation and the Clippers' own to build or refurbish seven courts at four Palmdale parks." Palmdale Mayor STEVE HOFBAUER declared yesterday "Paul George Day" (L.A. TIMES, 12/30)....Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN is "punching back against a gem expert who called one of his companies," Eterneva, "nothing more than a scam." Gemologist GRANT MOBLEY said, "Companies like Eterneva that claim to make synthetic diamonds out of human ashes have been around for more than a decade. But after further research into the process, it has become well-known within the jewelry industry that these companies are nothing more than a scam." However, Cuban said that "the technology is backed by rock-solid science" (N.Y. POST, 12/29)....USWNT and NWSL Orlando Pride G ASHLYN HARRIS and D ALI KRIEGER "got married Saturday at Miami's Vizcaya Museum and Gardens surrounded by their teammates, friends and family" (PROSOCCERUSA.com, 12/30).
