Leadoff with Lee 6.2.15 #CamNewton #MarkMay #CaitlynJenner #UAB

By @cleeverizon

- The Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton are close to agreeing on a long term deal that would keep Newton under team control through the 2020 season.

The contract extension being finalized with the Panthers is expected to be 5 years, more than $100M. Newton, the No. 1 overall pick in 2011, is scheduled to make $14.67 million this season after the Panthers picked up their club option for his fifth year. Bus Cook, who along with Tony Paige represents Newton, declined comment when reached by e-mail on Monday. The deal is expected to be complete no later than Wednesday.

- Who is the biggest hater of Ohio State on ESPN? Mark May! Here's the good news: May will no longer appear on ESPN's studio show "College Football Final. Mark May, who had been featured on the show since 2005, will become apart of another studio show with ESPN's John Saunders and Mack Brown. May will be replaced by former Buckeyes wide receiver Joey Galloway. How convenient.

- The University of Alabama Birmingham will reinstate it football program according to school President Ray Watts. The decision is a stunning reversal after Watts announced the dismissal of the sport a six months ago. Last December, UAB became the first Division I, Football Bowl Series (FBS) school to drop football in nearly twenty years. The CarrSports consulting report said the program needed to invest $49 million over five years to maintain a competitive football program. Former player Justin Craft created a committee to raise private funds to reinstate football. 

The CSS report stated it was viable for UAB to both reinstate football and maintain the status quo, describing a $3.165 million annual financial delta. Craft raised more than $15 million to cover any financial deficits. The Birmingham City Council and the UAB Undergraduate Student Government Association made multi-million dollar pledges, totaling nearly $6 million over five years. Jimmy Filler, a Birmingham businessman, also pledged to raise $7.5 million for an on-campus stadium. The decision to reinstate football should allow UAB to remain in Conference USA, which requires its members to have a Football Bowl Series level football program. If UAB didn't reinstate football, it would have been forced to leave the conference and lose upwards of $2 million annually.

- ESPN will present Bruce Jenner now known as Caitlyn Jenner with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Caitlyn is now labeled transgender. Jenner became a national hero when she won the decathlon gold medal with a record-setting performance at the 1976 Olympics. She identified as Bruce Jenner at the time. In announcing the award, ESPN cited Jenner's "athletic prowess and determination" at the Olympics and the "strength of character" that Jenner displayed in her coming-out interview with Diane Sawyer. The Arthur Ashe award has been presented every year since the sports-related ESPYs were established in 1993. Last years recipient football player Michael Sam became the first NFL prospect to announce he is gay. In his speech, he spoke about acceptance and respect. ESPN says the award is intended to "reflect the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost."

- We here at Triple Threat CLE are proud to announce our debut radio show will be on Friday June 5th on NoStaticRadio.com from 9pm - 11pm.

It can also be heard on your mobile device by downloading the MixLr app,which is available free of charge on your Apple or Android device.

This radio show is about a year and a half in the making and was founded by Chris (Raven) Williams (@nevaRWilliams) and myself @cleeverizon aka Lee.

We will talk about sports not only on the local level, but national level. We will also talk entertainment which will include but not limited to wrestling, music, video games, movies, cellphones and/or anything you want to talk about. We have some funny true to life stories that's I know are LOL funny too.

The studio number is 216-939-5087, give us a call or send us a tweet @triple3xthreat, and use the hashtag #StayWoke. We want to hear your threat (take) ! We have a lot of things planned that I'm eager to tell you but you have to listen to find out. You can also tweet @NoStatic_Radio and tell them how much you love the show. We will change the way you listen to radio. #StayWoke

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Chris Williams: @nevaRWilliams
Chris Lee: @cleeverizon
Mark West: @MarkW2112
Brandon Albright: @B_Rock1978
Kate Arhar: @ClvlndK8
Chris Lulovics: @CLulovics
Jaison Roberts: @Kratoslives
Cliff Gulley Jr.: @CLG2282
Patrick Kocon: @CTown_WUJU
Jason Disantis: @jddiantis