BEHIND THE SCENES: PHILIP ANSCHUTZ is profiled by Brian
O'Reilly of FORTUNE, who writes that Anschutz "operates his
sports business with a dispassion rare among team owners.
To a large degree, the teams appear designed to enhance the
value of his investment in sports arenas ... rather than
make him famous or fulfill some athletic fantasy." Head of
Anschutz' L.A. sports operation TIM LEIWEKE said that
Anschutz has visited the Staples Center "only once in the
three years it has been under construction." Leiweke, on
Anschutz: "He has no ego. He has never told me what
athletes to hire" (FORTUNE, 9/6 issue).
MAGICAL APPEARANCE: MAGIC JOHNSON has agreed to play
"at least one game" for Sweden basketball team M7. His
salary "was not disclosed" (USA TODAY, 8/25). ESPN's Suzy
Kolber, on Johnson: "His presence may help promote hoops in
a country where most people prefer hockey" ("SportsCenter,"
ESPN, 8/24). FSN's Chris Myers reported that Johnson's
attorney said that Johnson "picked Sweden because the
country made a great impression on him during a 1996 playing
tour" ("Primetime," FSN, 8/24).
MORE NAMES: DAILY VARIETY's Jill Goldsmith reports that
Ascent Entertainment will pay former CEO CHARLIE LYONS a
"surprisingly rich" severance package of $3.6M (DAILY
VARIETY, 8/25)....TARA LIPINSKI has been cast in the Fox
Family Channel original movie "Ice Angel." The movie tells
the story of a "star hockey player who gets killed and comes
back in the body of a 17-year-old female figure skater who
has been in a coma." Lipinski will play a "former
competitor" of the female skater "who helps get her back
into shape." Figure skaters ELVIS STOJKO, NANCY KERRIGAN,
ROSALYNN SUMNERS, PETER CARRUTHERS and JOSEE CHOUINARD are
set to make cameo appearances (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER,
8/25)....Fox NFL analyst TERRY BRADSHAW appeared on the
"Tonight Show" with JAY LENO last night. Bradshaw, when
asked by Leno if he was dating: "You look like this, you
want to get out and start dating again? I don't think so.
I got no money. I'm broke. I'm ugly. I got no hair" (NBC,
8/24)....The MO Senate voted 160-3 to name a 10-mile stretch
of I-70 "GEORGE BRETT Super Highway." State Sen. HARRY
WIGGINS (D) told the Royals that the three state senators
who voted against the measure "were all from the eastern
part" of MO and all of them did so "because they felt the
Royals stole the World Series from the Cardinals" (K.C.
STAR, 8/25)....LELAND'S COLLECTIBLES, which auctioned off
LOU GEHRIG's "farewell address" uniform, has filed a lawsuit
against winning bidder JEFFREY HERMAN for failing to come up
with $451,541 for the jersey. Herman says the money he
intended to use to pay for the uniform is "tied up in the
courts" due to a lawsuit he is facing in Miami. The uniform
will now be offered to the bidder who came in second place
(N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/25).
