Under questioning yesterday from co-Counsel Johnnie
Cochran on behalf of All Pro Sports Camps -- the group
"claim[ing] Walt Disney World stole their plans" for
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex -- the group tried "to
establish a paper trail of damaging memos dating back" to
the '80's, according to Jerry Jackson of the ORLANDO
SENTINEL. Former Disney Development exec Todd Mansfield
testified that he "never participated in any scheme to use
stolen ideas" to build the complex. Mansfield: "I'm
offended by it. It's ridiculous." Mansfield "acknowledged
that he attended a key meeting" in October '87 at which All
Pro officials "discussed plans" for a sports complex.
Mansfield also said that he "saw the model" for the proposal
and that the plans for the project "were given to him by"
former Disney employee Steve Wilson, but that Mansfield
"never made copies of or kept the plans." Documents entered
as evidence indicate that Wilson was Disney's "owner
representative" for a sports-complex project and Mansfield
"insisted" he thought the idea "was Wilson's alone." A
"financial expert" testified Wednesday that the complex "has
enriched Disney by at least" $653M since it opened in '97 in
direct and indirect value, such as more hotel visitors and
higher attendance at Disney parks (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/21).
