Names In The News

McCourt Agrees To Back Company  Hoping To Purchase L.A. Marathon

In L.A., Greg Johnson reports Dodgers Owner FRANK MCCOURT has "agreed to provide financial backing to a new [L.A.] company that hopes to buy operating rights" to the L.A. Marathon from Chicago-based Devine Racing. McCourt in a statement said that he is "interested in investing 'so long as necessary terms can be worked out with Devine Racing Management's affiliated entities and the City of [L.A.]'" (L.A. TIMES, 8/27).

POLITICAL CLOUT: Sabres Owner TOM GOLISANO last night sat in former President BILL CLINTON's box at the Pepsi Center while U.S. Sen. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY) spoke at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Golisano, who donated $1M to the DNC host committee in Denver, has his own box at Invesco Field for presidential candidate BARACK OBAMA's speech tomorrow night (LOHUD.com, 8/26).

SILVER SCREEN: Voodoo Pictures has acquired the film rights to ALAN DONNES' book "PATRON SAINTS: HOW THE SAINTS GAVE NEW ORLEANS A REASON TO BELIEVE," an account of the '06 NFL season when the Saints "returned home to inspire a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina." MICHAEL ARATA and JERRY DAIGLE will produce the movie, which is slated for production in New Orleans in summer '09 (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 8/27).

NAMES: The FBI and the Wayne County (MI) Register of Deeds' mortgage-fraud task force are investigating whether Pistons G LINDSEY HUNTER is the "victim of mortgage fraud" or the "perpetrator" (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 8/24)....The Int'l Association of Assembly Managers (IAAM) has appointed Verizon Center/Wizards VP/Booking & Entertainment DAVID TOUHEY to serve on its Industry Affairs Council (IAAM)....Knicks G STEPHON MARBURY reportedly has purchased a private jet for about $45M (N.Y. POST, 8/27).