Names In The News

Lalas Among National Soccer HOF’s Induction Class

AEG Chair PHILIP ANSCHUTZ was inducted into the National Soccer HOF for his contributions to the growth of MLS. Former U.S. National Team members ALEXI LALAS, CARLA OVERBECK and AL TROST were also inducted (Mult., 8/29).

ASSET SEIZURE: In Boston, Brett Arends reports assets under management at Red Sox Owner JOHN HENRY’s investment company “have crashed by more than a billion dollars” since January ’05, a third of the total. Henry in ’04 made nearly $400M in profits for investors on $3.3B in assets. This year, “he’s down to $2.2[B] in assets and hardly any clients have made a penny” (BOSTON HERALD, 8/29).

NAMES: The ACLU has filed a federal lawsuit against New Mexico State Univ. and football coach HAL MUMME on behalf of former football players MU’AMMAR ALI and brothers ANTHONY and VINCENT THOMPSON — all Muslims — claiming they were dismissed from the team “because of their religious beliefs” (AP, 8/29)....The ABA’s new expansion franchise in L.A. called “THE HOLLYWOOD FAME” will be owned by a group that includes “BDSSP” co-host and former NBAer JOHN SALLEY, former MLBer BRADY ANDERSON, Ravens QB KYLE BOLLER and NASCAR driver BRIAN VICKERS (ABA)....The K.C. home of Chiefs LB DERRICK JOHNSON and the Oahu, Hawaii, home of surfer JOHN JOHN FLORENCE were profiled on MTV’s “Cribs” last night (“Cribs,” MTV, 8/28)....DENNIS RODMAN will host a reality show on MARK CUBAN’s HDNet with a working title of “GEEK TO FREAK” slated for January (CABLE WORLD, 8/28 issue).

IN MEMORY: Former Spurs Owner ROBERT MCDERMOTT died yesterday at the age of 86 after suffering a stroke two weeks ago. McDermott led the group that bought the Spurs from RED MCCOMBS in ’93 for $85M. Three years later, McDermott resigned as Chair of the group after “backing a plan to sell the franchise that other Spurs board members opposed” (AP, 8/28)....Senators Owner EUGENE MELNYK announced he will honor horse breeder GEORGE BRUNACINI, who died in Sunday’s Comair plane crash in Kentucky, by having jockey JOHN VELAZQUEZ wear a black leg band during a race at Saratoga on Saturday (Eugene Melnyk).