In Akron, Nate Ulrich reports the Browns are "on board" for the film "Draft Day," provided reported plans for the new KEVIN COSTNER film to be shot in Cleveland come to fruition. Browns President ALEC SCHEINER said, "It’s a great thing for the city. It’s a great thing for the team. The NFL has totally blessed this." Costner originally was "set to star as a fictitious general manager of the Buffalo Bills, but ... he’ll now portray a GM of the Browns" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 3/8).
COURT REPORT: A Jackson County, Kan. jury "sided with the Chiefs on Wednesday, ruling the NFL organization did not discriminate against a former employee when he was fired." Former Maintenance Manager STEVE COX claimed that he was "terminated in 2010 because of his age -- he was 61 at the time." Two additional age-discrimination lawsuits against the Chiefs, both "brought by former employees who also believe they were wrongfully terminated, remain headed for trial" (K.C. STAR, 3/7)....Former NFLer CHRIS ZORICH on Thursday was charged with misdemeanor federal offenses for "allegedly failing to file federal income taxes for four years" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/8)....
TYING THE KNOT: MICHAEL JORDAN appears "ready to get married again," this time to his longtime girlfriend YVETTE PRIETO. Jordan "appeared at the main Palm Beach County courthouse Thursday morning to apply for a marriage license" (AP, 3/7)....LEBRON JAMES will "wed fiancee and high-school sweetheart SAVANNAH BRINSON during the weekend of Sept. 13-15 in San Diego" (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 3/7).
NAMES: Sources said that Flyers D CHRIS PRONGER has "GM material written all over him." He already has been "helping Flyers GM PAUL HOLMGREN this year, scouting players on video for Philadelphia and watching the odd junior game" (ESPN.com, 3/7)....South Carolina DE JADEVEON CLOWNEY on Thursday said that he has obtained a $5M insurance policy "through the NCAA" (POSTANDCOURIER.com, 3/7)....Fox Sports' JOE BUCK recently "lorded over the peak of Tanzania's 19,341-foot Mount Kilimanjaro." He said that he "wouldn't do it again and would 'rather go see a movie'" (USA TODAY, 3/8)....Warriors co-Owner JOE LACOB "sold his luxury condo" on the Las Vegas Strip to a local casino exec," taking a loss of more than $1M on the deal (VEGASINC.com, 3/7)....Baseball HOFer ERNIE BANKS, Pro Football HOFer RICHARD DENT, Ravens LB BRENDON AYANBADEJO and former NFLer HUNTER HILLENMEYER wrote a letter stating the Illinois General Assembly "should act now and give same-sex couples the freedom to marry" (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 3/7)....TSN analyst BOB MCKENZIE on Thursday "passed the 500,000 follower threshold" on Twitter. He "averages 300-plus new followers every day" (TSN.ca, 3/7)....Patriots TE ROB GRONKOWSKI on Thursday was a "celebrity model" at a Neiman Marcus soiree and fashion show to benefit the Art beCAUSE Breast Cancer Foundation (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/8).
