NLRB General Counsel RICHARD GRIFFIN issued a memorandum yesterday saying that top-level college football players at private schools are "employees entitled to request improved working conditions and even to seek pay for their efforts." The determination "found that scholarship football players at private colleges like Northwestern, Stanford and Notre Dame have employment rights." The memo was "revealed more than a year and a half after the NLRB" in DC declined to "exert jurisdiction over the Northwestern football team’s union petition, which effectively denied players the right to unionize and collectively bargain." Griffin's memo does not affect that ruling (N.Y. TIMES, 2/2).
THROWBACK THURSDAY: Supreme Court nominee NEIL GORSUCH was a classmate of Yankees Senior VP & GM BRIAN CASHMAN at the Georgetown Preparatory School outside DC as part of the class of '85. Cashman: "He's just a very genuine, high-character individual. He's a tremendous pick. I don't think Donald Trump could have made a better pick with such character, integrity and intelligence" (N.Y. POST, 2/2).
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| Dean Spanos (c) was among attendees at the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce Dinner
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NAMES
: Former Baylor football coach
ART BRILES
"dropped a libel lawsuit" yesterday against four school officials. Briles "reached an agreement with the university last summer to resolve his contract after he was fired." Briles had "accused them of libel slander, conspiracy and intentional infliction of emotional distress after the contract agreement was reached" (WACO TRIBUNE-HERALD, 2/2)....Cubs President of Baseball Operations
THEO EPSTEIN
yesterday joined Chicago Mayor
RAHM EMANUEL
at a "Becoming a Man" mentoring session at Hyde Park Academy for at-risk youth. The initiative is a "school-based group counseling program that teaches young men values, redirects their anger and helps them navigate through grades 7 through 12" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 2/2)....Longtime NHL Kings broadcaster
BOB MILLER
“returned home” yesterday from the hospital following a “mild stroke last week” (L.A. TIMES, 2/2)....Guests at the L.A. Area Inaugural Chamber of Commerce Dinner on Tuesday included Chargers Chair
DEAN SPANOS
, President of Business Operations
A.G. SPANOS
, President of Football Operations
JOHN SPANOS
and Gold Medal-winning U.S. beach volleyball player
KERRI WALSH JENNINGS
(THE DAILY)....Former NFLer
LADAINIAN TOMLINSON
will be the Honorary Starter for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26 (NASCAR)....Actor
CHARLIE DAY
will “make an appearance” at the Beanpot at TD Garden on Monday to promote his new comedy “
FIST FIGHT
” (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/2).
