Names In The News

JPMorgan analyst JONATHAN CHAPLIN said that Qwest Founder and AEG Chair PHILIP ANSCHUTZ, who has “significantly trimmed his stake” in Qwest recently, “likely sold 31 million more shares this week.” The sale was for $8.12 a share, or roughly $250M total (DENVER POST, 1/12).

Merriman Makes Productive Use Of Time During Four-Game Suspension

POSITIVE RESPONSE: In a USA TODAY sports section Cover Story, Jarrett Bell profiles Chargers LB SHAWNE MERRIMAN, who was suspended for four games this season after testing positive for steroids. Merriman “did much to turn a negative into a positive. The first week of the suspension, he hosted a previously scheduled bowling fundraiser to benefit a charity that operates two homeless shelters.” He also volunteered with Hands On New Orleans (USA TODAY, 1/12).

SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT: Columbia Pictures’ planned film based on LANCE ARMSTRONG’s ’00 autobiography, “IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE,” cover his “early career, his 1996 battle with cancer, his marriage and first Tour victory. How to address the latter years is a work in progress” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/12)....Universal is producing a film titled “THE EXPRESS,” about ERNIE DAVIS, the first African-American football player to win the Heisman Trophy. The GARY FLEDER film, which will co-star DENNIS QUAID, is scheduled to shoot this spring (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 1/12)....CBS’ JIM NANTZ, who will call the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four and The Masters this year, has had discussions with his reps at IMG about writing a book. Nantz: “Nothing may come of it, but a book would be a great vehicle to take readers behind the scenes and see the personalities involved in three of this country’s biggest sports events” (L.A. TIMES, 1/12).

AWARDS: ESPN’s PETER GAMMONS was presented the Judge Emil Fuchs Award for “long and meritorious service to baseball” at the annual Boston Baseball Writers dinner Thursday night. Worcester Telegram writer PHIL O’NEILL won the Dave O’Hara Award for “long and meritorious service to the Boston writers chapter” (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/12)....Toronto Globe & Mail baseball writer LARRY MILLSON received the John Cerutti Award, formerly known as the Good Guy Award, from the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 1/12).

IN MEMORY: MAUREEN ORCUTT, who became one of the first female sportswriters for a major newspaper, died Tuesday from congestive heart failure. She was 99. Orcutt joined the N.Y. Times in ’37 as the second female sportswriter in the history of that paper (N.Y. TIMES, 1/12)....IOC Ethics Commission Chair KEBA MBAYE has died at his home in Senegal after a long illness. He was 82 (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 1/12).