LAST HURRAH FOR NCAA PENALYZING MICHIGAN FOR SIGN STEALING?

 Lots of stuff …

Still pretending it is the last word in undergraduate 

athletics, the NCAA fined the Michigan football 

program what could reach as much as $30 million 

and (among other things) suspended coach

 SHERRONE MOORE a third game – of his 

choosing, naturally – for stealing signs in 2023 … 

while JIM HARBAUGH, now in charge of the NFL 

Chargers, was coach of the Wolverines.

Raise your hand if you think Michigan will pay a 

penny, much less a six-figure payoff ... when the old 

rules meant to protect amateur athletics no longer 

apply. The laughter you hear …

SPEAKING OF WHICH … Adidas will pay the 

University of Tennessee $100M in a 10-year deal to 

become the exclusive apparel provider for the 

school’s athletic teams … starting July 1, 2026 when 

UT’s agreement with Nike runs out.

Volunteers football reportedly is valued at $1.37 

BILLION, ninth highest overall … Adidas 

previously had the UT contract for 20 years before 

losing it to Nike in 2014.

DID YOU NOTICE … James Madison U. (9) and 

Liberty (5) both got votes for AP Top 25 preseason 

football poll … while UVA and VaTech did not?

IN TAKING THE Gr. I Arlington Million Aug. 9 at 

Colonial Downs, 6 year old Fort Washington won 

for the third time in five starts this year. He 

previously claimed a couple of Gr. III stakes … at 

Pimlico May 17 and Gulfstream Park March 1 … for 

hall-of-fame trainer SHUG McGAUGHEY, who 

based his decision to enter the ??? colt on some 

encouraging off-track work at Saratoga … after 

finishing fourth in his most recent race, the June 28 

Wise Dan Stakes (Gr. II) at Churchill Downs.

“I wanted to work him before making up my mind [to 

race at Colonial], McGaughey told reporters. “He 

worked well, and I decided to give him a chance.”

With Washington’s stablemate Integration, the 3/5 

favorite, coming in third, McGaughey had quite a 

pay day … taking $607,600 plus $98,000 for a near-

$700,000 of which the owners got in the uptown 

neighborhood of about 70 per cent, give or take 

depending on the contracts with jockeys (usually 10 

percent) and trainer.

Next for Washington, which went off at 5/1 here and 

paid $13.40 (win), $6 (place) and $3 (show)? “I have 

no idea,” McGaughey said. 

RESIDENT PHILLIES’ tough guy BRYCE 

HARPER, like most players, is anti-salary cap (for 

obvious reasons) … that is being considered by 

MLB (for … OK, obvious reasons). So, when 

commissioner ROB MANFRED visited the Phillies 

recently, he was greeted by an angry Harper, who 

said: “If you want to speak about that … you can get 

the [bleep] out of our clubhouse right now.”

Manfred held his ground, saying, “I have no 

intention of getting the [bleep] out of here.” Later, 

they reportedly shook hands but … the next day 

Harper did not answer phone calls from the 

commissioner. That’ll show him.

NEW NORTH CAROLINA football coach BILL 

BELICHICK was ranked 12^th best (of 17) in the 

ACC by a CBS Sports analyst. Don’t ask. Never 

heard of him … This will be the 73 year old 

Belichick’s first college-coaching gig after winning 

six Super Bowls with the Patriots (and making a lot 

of enemies along the way) … He has brought in 70 

new players to Chapel Hill … and several have been 

quoted as saying how surprised they have been by 

his sense of humor.

ACCORDING TO the Henrico Citizen, Henrico 

County has received interest from “multiple” bidders 

to build an arena and/or mixed-use development at 

the site of the Green City project that was forfeited 

in March when the rights holders failed to make the 

final payment of $5.2 million … However, citing 

exceptions to the Virginia Freedom of Information 

Act, the county is refusing to acknowledge the 

names of the “multiple” bidders … which will be 

announced later.

Originally, the new 17,000-seat arena/coliseum was 

scheduled to open this fall. Now they’re talking 

about 2028.

YOUR WASHINGTON Commanders have signed a 

couple of free agent wide receivers – RIVER 

CRACRAFT and MIKE STRACHAN – preparing 

for the possibility TERRY McLAURIN has played 

his last game for the Team Formerly Known as 

Redskins over a contract dispute.

Washington doesn’t want to give McLaurin a long-

term deal that will extend well into his 30s. 

According to ESPN Research, over the last five 

years, only three receivers have played at least 10 

games and averaged 70-plus yards per game catching 

the ball that takes funny bounces … Other teams 

have been reluctant to sign aging wideouts. Among 

24 active receivers who have the most guaranteed 

money, only Miami’s TYREEK HILL was older 

than 30 when his deal was signed.

Memo to Commanders … TRADE THE 

UNGRATEFUL BUM!

Until next time ...