In N.Y., Shifrel & Hutchinson report former ESPN Senior VP/Content Development & Enterprise KEITH CLINKSCALES yesterday filed a defamation lawsuit alleging that he is "being slandered by a former colleague who’s spreading a 'flat-out lie' that he fondled himself on an airplane while sitting next to sports reporter" ERIN ANDREWS. Clinkscales said in the Manhattan Criminal Court filing that he is the "target of a smear campaign orchestrated by a female employee he fired." Clinkscales left ESPN "earlier this year to start his own production company when the network disbanded its content development group" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/3).
REACHING AGREEMENT: ESPN N.Y.'s Adam Rubin reported the parties to a second lawsuit brought against Mets Owners the WILPON family related to the BERNIE MADOFF scandal "acknowledged in a letter to District Court Judge Paul A. Crotty" that the case is "nearing a settlement." The widow of a former employee of Wilpon's Sterling Equities Associates had alleged that the Wilpons "bear responsibility for letting employees put more than $16 million in 401(k) assets into accounts controlled" by Madoff. The Wilpons "continue to face a larger lawsuit brought" by trustee IRVING PICARD (ESPNNY.com, 11/2).
DELAY OF GAME: In London, Charles Sale reports Manchester United F
WAYNE ROONEY's US$8M "five-book deal with HarperCollins is the subject of much discussion at the publishers, who are considering a revamp of the troubled contract." The second autobiography in the series "has already been postponed once following" the '10 World Cup. Plans to "bring out the book either before or after Euro 2012 are also on the back burner, with Rooney suspended from the group stage of the tournament" (
London DAILY MAIL, 11/3).
CHARITY STRIPE: An auction in memory of late IndyCar driver DAN WHELDON has raised "more than $200,000" through Wednesday, with "many big-ticket items yet to be posted." The proceeds will go to a "trust fund established by IndyCar" for Wheldon's wife and children (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 11/3)....Former tennis player ANDRE AGASSI has raised $118M through 16 Grand Slam For Children charity galas, with the funds benefiting his College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas. After Saturday's gala, which raised $26.1M, Agassi "didn't guarantee there would be a Grand Slam next year." Saturday's total largely came through an $18M donation from Tracinda Corp. President & CEO KIRK KERKORIAN (LAS VEGAS SUN, 10/31)....The PGA Tour Players Championship on Tuesday held its annual Red Coat Ride Out, which "sends red coat-wearing volunteer tournament leaders to nonprofit organizations that benefit from the event." The tournament this year generated $5.9M for over 200 local charities (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 11/2)....Mets 1B DANIEL MURPHY, Red Sox P CLAY BUCHHOLZ and Phillies CF SHANE VICTORINO will appear on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" for a Nov. 11 fundraising special honoring military families (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/3).
NAMES: Hendrick Motorsports Owner RICK HENDRICK was admitted to a Charlotte medical facility Tuesday for discomfort from broken bones and bruising suffered during a Monday aircraft accident. He is expected to be released by the end of the week (Hendrick Motorsports)....Texas Gov. and presidential candidate RICK PERRY yesterday announced Chargers President DEAN SPANOS as a member of his California finance team (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/3)....Women In Cable Telecommunications named ESPN, NBCUniversal and TBS to its list of the top five programming companies for women to work for in the cable industry (ESPN)....NBA Commissioner DAVID STERN and NBA Deputy Commissioner & COO ADAM SILVER were scheduled to attend the Children's Tumor Foundation's 2011 Annual Benefit Dinner last night in N.Y. The '11 Children's Humanitarian Award wsa given to the Quicken Loans Family of Companies. NICK GILBERT, the son of Quicken Loans Founder and Cavaliers Owner DAN GILBERT, was named this year's Children's Tumor Foundation Ambassador (THE DAILY)....Ripken Baseball Inc. and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs yesterday announced that Baseball HOFer and Public Diplomacy Envoy CAL RIPKEN, JR., along with former MLBer BRADY ANDERSON, will travel to Japan Nov. 8-16 as sports diplomats (THE DAILY).....A 10-foot statue of free agent 1B ALBERT PUJOLS "pointing at the sky after a home run was dedicated" yesterday outside Pujols 5 restaurant in St. Louis (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 11/3).
IN MEMORY: Former Philadelphia Inquirer Flyers beat writer CHUCK NEWMAN died yesterday of a heart attack at the age of 79. Newman had retired from the paper about 10 years ago, but “remained at Temple as a teacher” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/3).
LET US KNOW! Are you or someone you know in the sports business industry running in Sunday’s ING N.Y. Marathon? If so, contact Theresa Manahan at tmanahan@sportsbusinessdaily.com and let her know. Then on Monday, send her your time, a photo and a quick note about the experience to share with our readers.
