While Darren continues to schlep around Israel, I’ll continue his Friday wrap-up tradition even in his absence. The following are some headlines that we neglected to cover during the week.
The Academy for Athletes, founded by former NFL running back Paul Miles, offers instruction in finance, health, law, public relations and social awareness. It also provides mentoring and networking with past athletes, professors and even a former FBI agent.
PGA phenom Anthony Kim recently fired Rocky Hambric and Hambric Sports Management and needs an agent. Or does he? Hambric, who endured a similar split with Charles Howell III in 2002, has filed a lawsuit in Dallas seeking damages. “It does hurt,” Hambric said. “But we had no alternative than to protect our rights under the agreement.”
NFL owners might opt out of the existing labor agreement as soon as Tuesday when they hold their next meetings in Atlanta, according to league sources.
Is Charles Barkley ok?
A group of retired football players is expected to announce next week a new program to provide free surgeries and rehabilitation for impoverished ex-NFL athletes.
Alan C. Milstein posts over at Sports Law Blog about “an interesting article from the New York Times about O.J. Mayo, the “freshman” basketball talent at the University of Southern California,” which “argues against the absurd age eligibility rule of the NBA enacted with an eye and ear toward what David Stern admits was the mutual back scratching interests of the NBA and the NCAA.”
Darren Rovell writes that “Headbands Help Boost NBA’s Bottom Line,”and that their increased popularity among NBA players has “translated into a bump in sales for headbands. Headband sales are up 38 percent from last year at the NBA Store in Manhattan and on NBAstore.com, according to league spokesperson Kristin Conte.”
Getting excited yet for the NBA draft? The actual draft isn’t until June 26th, but the lottery will be conducted this week. Check out a mock draft, the official early-entry candidate list,or a lottery odds calculator/simulator. Personally, I’ll only be happy if the Timberwolves get the #1 or #2 position.