Pistons VP JOE DUMARS has bought a majority interest in
"closely held" SunTel Services, a company that sells voice,
data and video technology to businesses (BLOOMBERG NEWS,
5/17)....Jaguars RB FRED TAYLOR and NFL Giants WR IKE
HILLIARD are suing agent WILLIAM "TANK" BLACK, claiming
Black "defrauded them out of millions of dollars." The
lawsuit claims Black and his associates "invested millions
of dollars of the players' money in phony schemes, diverted
money to offshore bank accounts and misrepresented
investments" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 5/18)....More than 50 DOLPHINS
staff members, including 41 players, helped to complete the
team's fourth annual Habitat for Humanity project yesterday.
The group helped build seven new homes in the area (MIAMI
HERALD, 5/18)....NFL Panthers QB STEVE BEUERLEIN, ESPN's
DICK SCHAAP and former MLBer STEVE GARVEY will be among
those addressing a U.S. Senate subcommittee today about
raising awareness of Lou Gehrig's disease (CHARLOTTE
OBSERVER, 5/18)....In N.Y., George Vecsey profiles the off-
the-field activities of Mets P AL LEITER and his wife, LORI,
who are "actively working to help other children through the
Leiters Landing Foundation." Leiter "is not a passive
spectator of the charity, like many public figures who write
a check. He is an activist." Leiter: "We ask organizations
to write grant proposals and we look them over. It is such
a good feeling when you do it yourself. It seems things run
much more smoothly" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/18)....76ers President
PAT CROCE, his wife DIANE, Senior VP DAVE COSKEY and
VP/Communications LARA WHITE visited the set for the film
"Unbreakable" at the invitation of actor BRUCE WILLIS.
Willis, who is shooting the film, the next film from "The
Sixth Sense" Dir M. Night Shyamalan, in Philadelphia,
extended the invite after being provided with floor seats to
a recent 76ers game (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 5/18)....NBC's
Jay Leno, on SYLVESTER STALLONE seeking to make "ROCKY VI":
"Stallone says he wants to star in it by himself, write it
by himself, produce it by himself and direct it by himself.
And if he does, there's a good chance he'll be watching it
by himself" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 5/17)....Two profiles in
the current AD AGE: Laura Petrecca writes on Impact Sports
Marketing President & Partner REED BERGMAN, who has
"orchestrated deals with the likes of Colgate-Palmolive Co.,
Outback Steakhouse, Progressive Corp. and the U.S. Army for
the more than 100 ballplayers his company represents."
Meanwhile, NFL Insider Publisher JOE BLANEY is featured in
AD AGE's "On A Roll." Blaney's "Insight" is that "baseball
and even basketball are struggling to maintain growth, but
the TV ratings and attendance of NFL games keep climbing.
The European fan base is surging, too" (AD AGE, 5/15 issue).
...Phish guitarist/singer Trey Anastasio appeared on "NHL
Cool Shots" and said of his favorite NHL team, the Flyers:
"When they win the Cup, I'm hoping that [Flyers LW] John
LeClair will come to a Phish gig, bring the Cup so that I
can hoist the Cup onstage" ("NHL Cool Shots," ESPN, 5/17).
