Bush helped pick house, Lake says

Reggie Bush helped pick out a house that a would-be sports marketer bought for his family to live in while he was playing at USC, according to a television report that will air tonight.

In an interview for a segment of HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel,” Lloyd Lake says Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner, visited and then requested the purchase of a San Diego-area home that Lake’s partner eventually bought.

Part of the segment was taped in the driveway of the Spring Valley home where Bush’s family allegedly lived rent-free. Michael Michaels, who was Lake’s business partner, purchased the home.

“Reggie rolled up here, looked at some houses and, you know, he basically said, ‘This is the one we want,’ ” Lake told Real Sports correspondent Bernard Goldberg.

Bush and his family are under investigation by the NCAA for allegedly receiving extra benefits from marketing agents during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The New Orleans Saints running back has maintained that he and his family did nothing wrong.

Michaels has since settled with Bush.

Lake, who is suing Bush, tells Goldberg that the running back’s stepfather, LaMar Griffin, had approached him about starting a sports marketing business after Lake was released from federal prison. Lake has said that he gave Bush $13,000 to purchase a 1996 Chevrolet Impala and thousands more to detail the car. He told Goldberg he provided Bush with $3,000 a month while he was playing for USC.

The segment also includes alleged excerpts from conversations between Lake and Griffin that Lake secretly taped.

Meanwhile, ESPN reported that Bush ripped into Lake while attending the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

“It’s cowardice,” Bush said. “You take their shots in the media, but they won’t show up in court. . . .

“They don’t want to see us in the courtroom. The lawyers are ducking and dodging us. The hang-up is they don’t want to give us their deposition. . . . But at the same time, they’re doing interviews and making the media rounds? . . . It’s like a trash talker on the field. If you’re serious, meet me on the 50-yard line.”

-- Gary Klein

SOCCER

Clubs to be compensated if players go to World Cup

Soccer clubs sending players to the World Cup and European Championship will receive about $252 million in compensation over the next four years.

The agreement was announced by UEFA President Michel Platini, ending a long-running dispute between major European clubs and the governing bodies of international and European soccer.

As part of the arrangement, the G-14 group of Europe’s 18 most powerful clubs will drop their legal disputes with FIFA and UEFA, Bayern Munich Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

FIFA will pay clubs whose players take part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa $110 million. UEFA will pay clubs $63 million for the 2008 European Championship and $79 million for the 2012 tournament.

The money will benefit all clubs that a player belonged to during the previous two years, meaning smaller clubs will benefit from the arrangement as well, he said.

MOTOR SPORTS

NASCAR keeps changes to a minimum

Conceding that NASCAR gave its core fan base “a lot to digest” through a flurry of radical changes, Chairman Brian France wants the focus to return to the track and the drivers who make up America’s top racing series.

So in a season preview address that France has previously used to detail upcoming changes to policy or procedure, he instead announced only a handful of changes, only one of which was significant enough to affect fans.

Beginning this season, NASCAR will attempt to balance the competition for drivers outside the top 35 in points by grouping them together in qualifying. The new qualifying procedure is designed to send all drivers not already locked into the field onto the track when the conditions are essentially the same. Previously, the order was set by a random draw and drivers could benefit by the time of day they made their attempt.

BASEBALL

Royals, Tomko agree to one-year, $3-million deal

Right-hander Brett Tomko and the Kansas City Royals agreed to a $3-million, one-year deal that allows the right-hander to earn an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses. Tomko was 4-12 with a 5.55 earned-run average last year for the Dodgers and San Diego Padres in 19 starts and 21 relief appearances.

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Yadier Molina, one of the top defensive catchers in the major leagues, agreed to a $15.5-million, four-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. Molina hit .275 with six homers and 40 RBIs in 111 games last season.

MISCELLANY

In Summation sets track record at Santa Anita

In what is becoming a regular occurrence at Santa Anita, a track record was established in the Grade II $150,000 Palos Verdes Handicap.

At the conclusion of six furlongs in a swift 1:06.67, In Summation, the 9-5 favorite, was up to defeat pacesetter and 2-1 second choice Barbecue Eddie by a neck.

The final time bettered the Cushion Track record of 1:07.34 set by Switzerland on Nov. 3.

-- Bob Mieszerski

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The Masters golf tournament offered special invitations to three players from Asia, part of Chairman Billy Payne’s plan to help broaden the appeal of golf and its first major around the world. Invitations were awarded to Liang Wen-Chong of China, Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand and Jeev Milka Singh of India, who will be making his second straight trip to the Masters. Singh tied for 37th last year.

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Greg Burns has been hired as cornerbacks coach at Arizona State. He joins Dennis Erickson’s staff after serving as secondary coach at Kansas State last season. Before that, he was defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006 and spent four years on the staff of Pete Carroll at USC.