Padres Owner John Moores said the drop in the share price of his software company Peregrine "will have no bearing" on the Padres, according to Tom Krasovic of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Peregrine stock has fallen from $79.50 per share to $25.06 per share since March 27. Moores: "I'd prefer to have it at a higher price, but will there be any sort of ripple impact on the Padres? Zero. If (Peregrine) went bankrupt, it would have no impact on the Padres. There's no relationship" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 4/15). STERLING REPUTATION: In L.A., Mark Heisler wrote an open letter to Clippers Owner Donald Sterling, after SI called the Clippers the "worst franchise in sports history." Heisler: "I was proud of you for doing the interview, but you need new material. Your I-suffer thing isn't working. If you were suffering that badly, or at all, you'd do something about it. ... To us, you're someone who runs a demoralized organization, makes no changes [and] refuses to acknowledge mistakes" (L.A. TIMES, 4/15). FSN's Jim Rome, on Sterling: "If you don't want to win, sell the team. You're an embarrassment to yourself, the league, the city and all of professional sports" ("Last Word," 4/14). LAURIE STILL HAS EYES ON NBA: In Toronto, Grant Kerr interviews Blues and Kiel Center Owner Bill Laurie, who "drew the ire of Canadian basketball fans" when he tried to acquire the Grizzlies and examined relocating them to St. Louis. Laurie: "It was just the situation. I have a building in St. Louis that needs an NBA team. Vancouver has [supported] its team pretty well, but the economics is horrible. I think the new owner is going to find that out." Laurie: "Since I've got involved in hockey -- it's a great, great, sport -- I've enjoyed it a lot. ... [But] in the world of hockey, it doesn't work really good for anybody right now. We need a new [CBA] in a couple years and then the sport can flourish." Laurie, on bringing in another tenant for the Kiel Center: "We're missing that one situation, as you know, with the NBA. There's a lot of good basketball people in this city and I think it would support an NBA team" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 4/17). Q&A WITH HUNT: In K.C., Jason Whitlock interviewed Chiefs Owner Lamar Hunt and asked him about the handling of RB Bam Morris and WR/KR Tamarick Vanover, after they were allegedly involved in a local "marijuana-distribution ring." Vanover was cut Friday and Morris is no longer on the team. Hunt: "I really haven't followed it that closely other than [President Carl Peterson] has kept me posted three or four weeks ago." Whitlock: "Hunt should be more concerned about what's going on. The government alleges that two of his team's employees were trafficking drugs in the community and Hunt 'really hasn't followed it that closely.' To me, that reaction is sad" (K.C. STAR, 4/16).
