MICHAEL JORDAN was in Federal Court in Chicago
yesterday "asking that he be allowed to put his famous name
on a future Chicago restaurant." Jordan is in a dispute
with GENE AND JOSEPH SILVERBERG, who developed the now
bankrupt Michael Jordan's Restaurant, and claim that their
"contract gives them control of the name" in the city.
Jordan's agent and "leadoff witness" DAVID FALK told the
court, "In marketing, Michael Jordan's name is like magic in
a bottle." Falk also discussed his marketing strategy for
Jordan: "In keeping with John Kennedy's inaugural, we told
[companies], 'ask not what Michael Jordan can do for you but
ask what you can do for Michael Jordan'" (AP, 5/24). In
Chicago, Carol Slezak writes, "You couldn't help but wonder
why [Jordan] didn't just settle this one out of court"
Slezak adds that the "gist" of Jordan's argument is that the
Silverbergs "hurt his reputation by saying, among other
things, that Jordan seldom showed up at his restaurant"
(CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 5/24).....CAL RIPKEN JR. is on the cover
of the new lifestyle magazine, DADS, which hits newsstands
June 6. The NFL is a charter advertiser of the publication
(THE DAILY). ...FORTUNE's Patricia Sellers writes that
ClubMom CEO SARA LEVINSON's eight-year-old son, AVERY, had
"cried himself to sleep" when his mother left her position
as NFLP President, but he received a handwritten letter from
NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE that read, "Dear Avery, Two
things you should know: No. 1 Your mom did a great job in
the NFL. ... No. 2 Anytime you want tickets to Jets or
Giants games or the Super Bowl, be sure to get in touch with
me -- because you'll have tickets!" (FORTUNE, 5/29
issue)....Former Univ. of FL F MIKE MILLER has signed with
agent ARN TELLEM (Mult., 5/23)....The N.Y. DAILY NEWS
reports that Time Warner Vice Chair Ted Turner is "acting
like a lovesick school kid" in his relationship with KAREN
ROSENFELD, a "stunning 28-year-old English professor" at
Marymount Manhattan College. Turner "even consoled
Rosenfeld after a recent Knicks playoff game loss" (N.Y.
DAILY NEWS, 5/24)....Reds SS BARRY LARKIN and OF ALEX OCHOA
taped an episode of HBO's "ARLI$$" yesterday, which is
"tentatively scheduled to air" in late July or early August
(CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 5/24)....MARIO VAZQUEZ RANA, a
"wealthy" Mexican industrialist who "holds any number of
titles within Olympic circles," has "bowed out of the
developing race to succeed" IOC President JUAN ANTONIO
SAMARANCH (L.A. TIMES, 5/24)....Tour de France champion
LANCE ARMSTRONG was profiled by Bob Simon last night on "60
Minutes II." Simon said that Armstrong decided to "use his
fame to spread his message of hope, ... 'The Obligation of
the Cured,' he calls it" ("60 Minutes II," CBS, 5/23).
