In N.Y., Bagli & Berger profile Barclays Center developer and Nets minority Owner BRUCE RATNER, who on Friday will “find some measure of vindication as the glass-and-rusted-steel home of the rechristened Brooklyn Nets ... opens with a week of concerts by JAY-Z.” Ratner "may portray himself as a reluctant developer, but he will do what is necessary to get a deal done.” Since the inception of the Atlantic Yards project in '03, Ratner has “revised his plans and timelines so often that critics say the whole thing amounts to an enormous bait and switch.” But the project is "far from over" as plans call for "15 residential towers over the next 25 years and, possibly, an office building or hotel” (N.Y. TIMES, 9/27)
SHAKEN UP: In N.Y., Jeff Klein writes the lawsuit brought by the family of late NHLer DEREK BOOGAARD against the NHLPA "could lead to some novel and tumultuous territory for the sport.” The lawsuit contains “an array of serious charges that could be explored in the course of litigation or in lawsuits to come.” The lawsuit alleges that the Wild and Rangers, the two teams for which he "served as a designated fighter, contributed to Boogaard’s death.” It said that doctors for the two teams “repeatedly prescribed painkillers and other drugs to Boogaard, even after his addiction to those very kinds of drugs was known.” The family's lawyer could seek to take depositions from “officials from the league, the Rangers, the Wild and the substance-abuse program Boogaard was in when he died” (N.Y. TIMES, 9/27).
CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Orioles Owner PETER ANGELOS has “given more than $1.2 million to Priorities USA and other super PACS” that support PRESIDENT OBAMA’s re-election campaign. Angelos said, “I’ve never met the president. What’s driving me is the need to re-elect the president and a Democratic Congress. Otherwise, politically, we’re going nowhere” (N.Y. TIMES, 9/27). Golf HOFer JACK NICKLAUS “enthusiastically endorsed” MITT ROMNEY yesterday during a campaign stop in Columbus, Ohio (NYPOST.com, 9/26).
ENTERING THE RING: ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael reported six of the nine members of Team USA men's boxing team “have signed with manager AL HAYMON in recent weeks.” None of the six Olympians “has a deal yet with a promoter,” but it is “likely that most, if not all, will work with Golden Boy Promotions, which is involved with most of Haymon’s top clients.” Golden Boy and sister networks Showtime and CBS “announced a deal under which fighters from the Games would make their pro debuts on CBS on a telecast produced by Showtime in the fall.” Haymon’s newly signed Olympians “almost surely will be part of those cards” (ESPN.com, 9/26).
NAMES: Wake Forest announced that alum and IMG College President BEN SUTTON and his family will “make a leadership gift to the university to launch a major health and wellness initiative on campus.” The gift marks the “second largest ever received from an alumnus” and will be used for the “renovation of the historic Reynolds Gym” (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/24)….Rangers RF NELSON CRUZ “purchased an all-terrain apparatus that he will donate to the fire service” in his hometown of San Francisco de Macoris in the Dominican Republic (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 9/25)….The Falcons yesterday announced that they will be the presenting sponsor of the ’12 Black College Football HOF Enshrinement Ceremony (Falcons)….Pro Football HOFer DEION SANDERS “took batting practice” before yesterday’s Blue Jays-Orioles game and he “hit several balls deep into the outfield” (CSNBALTIMORE.com, 9/26)….Discovery Channel’s “MythBusters” taped an episode at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week that will air next spring (INDYSTAR.com, 9/26).
