WDRB.com’s RICK BOZICH announced his retirement from sports journalism “more than a half-century” after starting in March 1974. Bozich wrote, “Time to tap the brakes. Time to play in a slower lane. Time to invest more attention to family. … It’s been a marvelous run.” He recalled, “My career lifted off at the IDS, covering LEE CORSO for football and BOB KNIGHT for basketball … and finally my arrival in Louisville as a sports copy editor at The Courier-Journal in July 1978.” In 2012, he was given a “platform on the WDRB website as well as on television” (WDRB.com, 7/1).
ONE MORE YEAR: Former Univ. of Tennessee basketball player ZAKAI ZEIGLER has “dropped his federal appeal to gain a fifth year of eligibility after his four-year Tennessee basketball career ended in March, but the lawsuit will continue locally.” Zeigler’s lawsuit “attacked the NCAA’s redshirt rule.” Zeigler “played four consecutive seasons and did not redshirt but argued that he should be allowed a fifth year of eligibility and earning potential instead of being essentially punished for not redshirting.” The lawsuit “indicated that Zeigler is not challenging the five-year eligibility window, but the four-year competition window within the five years” (KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL, 7/2).
NAMES: A North Hollywood mural “seemingly inspired” by Dodgers IF KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ’s stance on immigration sweeps has been designed by local artist LOUIE PALSINO. The mural features Hernández’s image surrounded by the words “Born X Raised” and “Los Angeles.” Hernández “expressed support for his adopted city’s immigrants and dismay at how many of them were being treated in a series of sweeps by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement” (L.A. TIMES, 7/2)....Former WNBAer SUE BIRD will be “honored with a statue on Aug. 17 that will stand on the west plaza of Climate Pledge Arena.” Chicago-based artist JULIE AMRANY, who has sculpted Basketball HOFers MICHAEL JORDAN and KOBE BRYANT as well as Aces F A’JA WILSON, was commissioned to immortalize Bird in bronze (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/28).
