Oakland Coliseum officially has a new name: RingCentral
The home of the Oakland A’s is now officially known as RingCentral Coliseum.
A contract approved Friday cleans up after a scandalous saga involving former Coliseum Authority Executive Director Scott McKibben. In May 2019, the Coliseum Stadium Authority board approved a $3 million, three-year naming rights contract with RingCentral, but before inking the deal, the board learned McKibben had sought a finders fee for negotiating the contract, in violation of state government conflictof-interest laws.
The deal was put on ice as attorneys for Oakland and Alameda County — and later the District Attorney’s Office — investigated McKibben. However, RingCentral signs went up and radio and TV broadcasts frequently referred to the ballpark as the “RingCentral Coliseum” as the A’s advanced to the American League playoffs in 2019 and won the AL West in the shortened 2020 season. Even the Coliseum Authority’s own website referenced the Belmont-based company.
LA RUSSA PLEADS GUILTY TO LESSER CHARGE TO END DUI CASE >> White Sox manager Tony La Russa pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser charge to resolve misdemeanor drunken driving charges stemming from his arrest nearly 10 months ago on a freeway in metro Phoenix.
The 76-year-old La Russa also pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Florida in 2007 after police found him asleep inside his running SUV at a stop light and smelling of alcohol.
La Russa’s Arizona arrest occurred Feb. 24, but the charges were filed Oct. 28 — one day before he was hired to manage
the Chicago White Sox. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving in Maricopa County Justice Court and was sentenced to one day of home detention, a fine of nearly $1,400 and 20 hours of community service.
NFL
PASS RUSH GREAT KEVIN GREENE DIES AT 58 >> Hall of Fame linebacker Kevin Greene, considered one of the fiercest pass rushers in NFL history, has died. He was 58.
Greene died Monday, the family confirmed, as did the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
No cause of death was given.
A two-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection, Greene finished his career with 160 sacks, which ranks third in league history behind only Bruce Smith (200) and Reggie White (198). He also had 23 forced fumbles and five interceptions.
NHL
TEAMS COULD RAISE $15M THROUGH HELMET ADS >> National Hockey League teams could bring in a combined $15 million by placing sponsors’ ads on helmets in the 2020-21 season, TSN reported Monday.
Sports Business Daily
reported last week that the NHL likely would approve the ad placement for the season. The effort could help clubs recoup some of the money lost by limited or no attendance amid the coronavirus pandemic, but also to give added value to big sponsors. Only one sponsor name would be allowed on a helmet.
The NBA sells sponsorship patches on its jerseys. In March 2019, when the Oklahoma City Thunder became the final team to add a patch, ESPN said the other 29 teams were bringing in an estimated $150 million per season.
Soccer
STANFORD’S GIRMA VOTED YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR >> U.S. Under-20 women’s national team captain Naomi Girma has been voted the 2020 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year.
Girma, who played a major part in helping Stanford win the NCAA championship in 2019 as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, was the leader of the U.S. defense during the 2020 CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship. She started six games during the World Cup qualifying tournament to help the USA earn a berth to the since- cancelled 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and win the regional title, defeating Mexico, 4-1 in the championship game.
STAR MIDFIELDER BECKERMAN RETIRING AFTER 21 MLS SEASONS >> Nine-time AllStar midfielder Kyle Beckerman retired after 21 seasons in MLS, the last 14 with Real Salt Lake.
Regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS history, the 38- year- old Beckerman retires as the league’s alltime leader in regular-season matches played (498), matches started (461) and minutes played (41,161). Beckerman started his career with the Miami Fusion in 2000, before moving on to Colorado in 2003. He was traded to Real Salt Lake in 2007.
Special Olympics
CHICAGO-AREA MAN WHO HELPED INSPIRE SPECIAL OLYMPICS DIES >> Michael “Moose” Cusack, a Chicago-area man who helped inspire the Special Olympics movement and who won multiple medals at the athletic event over years, has died. He was 64.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Cusack, who had Down syndrome, died at Good Shepherd Manor in Momence, just south of Chicago, on Dec. 17 of natural causes associated with Alzheimer’s.
When he was 10, Cusack joined a Chicago Park District program for children with disabilities, where he met a young physical education teacher, Anne Burk, who is now the chief justice on the Illinois Supreme Court.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Burke laid the groundwork for the first Special Olympics at Chicago’s Soldier Field in 1968, at which Cusack won his first gold medal in the 25yard (22.86-meter) freestyle swim.