Names In The News

Pregame Fight Mars Eagles-Falcons "MNF" Game

During the on-field warm-ups prior to Eagles-Falcons last night, a fight broke out between the two teams, with Eagles LB JEREMIAH TROTTER and Falcons CB KEVIN MATHIS being ejected. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said Falcons Owner ARTHUR BLANK and Eagles Owner JEFFREY LURIE “were having a nice little friendly chat and ended up in the middle of the thing” (“Monday Night Countdown,” ESPN, 9/12). ABC’s Michele Tafoya said Lurie “tried to convince the ref that this was simply a product of pregame jitters and why couldn’t there just be offsetting fouls. (Referee WALT) COLEMAN wasn’t buying it.” ABC’s Al Michaels said NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE “had a good view, too, because he was walking along the sidelines during the pregame activities” (ABC, 9/12).

LAW & ORDER: Earthboard Sports USA Founder HUBERT ALLEN JEFFREYS pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud related to “fabrications he made about merger talks with Vans.” Nearly 20 investors lost $2M as a result. Jeffreys will be sentenced on December 12 and potentially faces 20 years in federal prison and a $5M fine (L.A. BUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/12)....The Boston police officers involved in the fatal shooting of VICTORIA SNELGROVE will not face criminal charges. Snelgrove died near Fenway Park after being shot with a pepper pellet following the Red Sox’ victory over the Yankees in the ’04 ALCS. Suffolk DA DANIEL CONLEY said that the officers “did not intend to hurt anyone but were trying to protect the public and themselves” (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/13)....NORTHWESTERN UNIV. will pay $16M to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the family of football player RASHIDI WHEELER, who died of an asthma attack “at a rigorous, against-the-rules practice session four years ago.” The settlement was reached in principle several weeks ago, but was “not finalized as Wheeler’s mother, LINDA WILL, loudly protested and said she wanted to reject the settlement offer and go to trial.” But Judge KATHY FLANAGAN “overruled her” (Abdon Pallasch, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/13).

NAMES: Pro Football HOFer LARRY CSONKA and five others were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter last Thursday in the Bering Sea after their 28-foot charter boat was caught in unsafe conditions. The crew was hunting off the Aleutian Islands while filming an episode of OLN’s “NORTH TO ALASKA” (ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS, 9/11)....ESPN’s DICK VITALE and JAY BILAS filmed a scene for the basketball movie “HOME OF THE GIANTS.” The pair play themselves and pretend to provide commentary on ESPNU for an Indiana high school basketball state championship game (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 9/10).