BROADCASTING & CABLE's George Winslow cited a Yahoo SEC filing as indicating that former interim CEO ROSS LEVINSOHN, after being "passed over twice for the top job at Yahoo" is leaving the company effective today. As part of the separation agreement, the company noted in its filing that it had "approved an equity award to Mr. Levinsohn consisting of 67,000 restricted stock units and 250,000 stock options" (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 7/30).
ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL: CNN.com noted former President BILL CLINTON’s Sept. 5 speech at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte “may have fewer watching than he would have hoped” as it comes on the same night as the Cowboys-Giants ’12 NFL season-opening game. Vice President JOE BIDEN will make his primetime speech the following day -- the final evening of the convention when President BARACK OBAMA accepts the Democratic nomination. DNC organizers “decided to put both of its two major attractions on the last night for maximum exposure” (CNN.com, 7/30)....S.C. Gov. NIKKI HALEY yesterday attended the NFL Panthers’ training camp “to honor owner Jerry Richardson and officially proclaim it Carolina Panthers Day across the state” (SPARTANBURG HERALD JOURNAL, 7/31).
HEADS UP PLAY: DAILY VARIETY's Stuart Levine noted actor and filmmaker PETER BERG is "teaming with the NFL for a TV project to help prevent catastrophic injuries for players just learning the game." Titled "HEADS UP FOOTBALL," Berg's Film 44 production company and the NFL have been "filming at the USA Football Youth Summit in Canton, Ohio, to document how to properly tackle opponents, which will lessen concussions and other serious injuries." Production should last "for at least seven months." Berg is "looking to sell 'Heads Up Football' to cablers -- possibly HBO, ESPN or CNN -- as either a one-time special or a docuseries" (VARIETY.com, 7/30).
TIGER HABITAT: In Portland, Erik Siemers noted Nike on Friday donated $700,000 "to start a new endowment fund at Princeton University in honor of one of its longest-serving board members." The Ralph DeNunzio and Nike Endowment Fund for Princeton Athletics "will be used to support" the school's athletic programs. Its namesake, RALPH DENUNZIO, is a '53 Princeton graduate "who had been a Nike board member since 1988 before retiring last year" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/30).
COURT REPORT: Kentucky State Fair Board President HAROLD WORKMAN in a deposition said that he fired former KFC Yum! Center GM TED NICHOLSON "after months of concerns over his job performance, not as a vendetta for statements about Workman's management." Nicholson "sued the fair board in April, alleging that he was terminated because of critical comments he made about Workman during a consultant's review of arena operations" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 7/31).
NAMES: CFL Calgary Stampeders President & COO LYLE BAUER was diagnosed with throat cancer seven years ago, and "all is well" following his annual checkup last month. Because of "intense radiation and chemotherapy, he said his jaw and voice will deteriorate and he may need surgery down the road." In his role with the Stampeders, he is "often required to speak in front of the public and, at times, his altered speech is noticeable" (CALGARY HERALD, 7/28)....Golfer WEBB SIMPSON and his wife, DOWD, welcomed daughter WILLOW GRACE SIMPSON on Saturday night (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 7/29)....ESPN's KIRK HERBSTREIT saw his horse Dancininthecircle win her debut race yesterday at Ellis Park in Kentucky (NTRA.com, 7/30)....Approximately 5,000 Big Ten fans participated in the inaugural BTN Big 10K Saturday in Chicago. The event was held the day after the conference's Kickoff Luncheon following Big Ten Media Days. BTN analyst HOWARD GRIFFITH participated in the event (BTN)....NLL Buffalo Bandits GM STEVE DIETRICH has been elected to the NLL HOF (BUFFALO NEWS, 7/31).
IN MEMORY: LPGA Dir of Business Development CHRISTINE HOWARD, 34, died July 23 and will be remembered at a funeral mass today at 11:00am CT in Dallas, Texas (OBITS.com, 7/31).
