Former NHLers SCOTT NIEDERMAYER and CHRIS CHELIOS, NHL VP/Player Safety & Hockey Operations BRENDAN SHANAHAN, former Canadian Olympian GERALDINE HEANEY and late NHL exec FRED SHERO were "voted on by an 18-member selection committee" for the '13 Hockey HOF class. The class will be "formally inducted Nov. 11 in Toronto" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/10). In N.Y., Larry Brooks writes Shero had the "most brilliant of hockey minds" and was "charismatic, mysterious and flawed" (N.Y. POST, 7/10).
LEAVE IF YOU WANT TO: Univ. of Kentucky education professor JOHN THELIN in a letter to the N.Y. Times wrote the "conferences and their universities represent the '1 percent' -- that elite group of college sports programs that have become rich, powerful and successful. So why don’t they just walk away from the NCAA?" Thelin: "I hope that the 1 percent who are threatening to leave the NCAA do leave. It might prompt those athletic directors, presidents and boards to appreciate their traditional privileges, which would be jeopardized if they left" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/10).
SILVER SCREEN: Screenwriters ERIC JOHNSON and PAUL TAMASY have "snapped up feature film rights" to the forthcoming book on the Boston Marathon bombings titled "BOSTON STRONG" by CASEY SHERMAN and Boston Herald reporter DAVE WEDGE. Johnson and Tamasy wrote the screenplay for "THE FIGHTER" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/9)....Steelers investor THOMAS TULL's Legendary Pictures is "near an agreement on a multiyear deal that would have Universal distributing and, in some cases, co-financing movies it produces" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/10).
CHARITY STRIPE: Texans QB MATT SCHAUB and wife LAURIE yesterday presented a $250,000 donation to expand the emergency center at Texas Children's Hospital West Campus. The donation is part of a $1M pledge raised through their GR8 Hope Foundation (Texas Children's Hospital)....Dolphins DT PAUL SOLIAI donated $250,000 to the Univ. of Utah's new football center (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 7/9).
CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN: ESPN NFL analyst RAY LEWIS was "unable to make the climb of Mount Kilimanjaro because of a foot injury and fever," but during his visit to Africa "conducted an impromptu meeting" with Tanzania President JIKAYA KILWETE and gave him a Ravens cap. Lewis "spent over an hour" with Kilwete and "received an invitation to return in the future for service" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 7/9).
COURT REPORT: Heat G DWYANE WADE's ex-wife SIOHVAUGHN WADE said that she is owed at least $1M from "endorsements and other income, alleging in a lawsuit filed in Cook County last week that Wade has engaged in a conspiracy to deprive her of the money." She is suing Wade, his "attorney, his financial adviser and companies with which she believes he has endorsement deals for allegedly refusing to uphold an agreement that required the money to be placed in a joint bank account" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/10).
NAMES: Serie A club Inter Milan President MASSINO MORATTI "recently revealed that takeover talks were still ongoing" with 76ers and MLS DC United investor ERICK THOHIR (GOAL.com, 7/5)....Former NHLer GEORGES LARAQUE yesterday said that he will "campaign for a seat from Montreal in Canada's House of Commons." Laraque in recent years has "become known for his political activism as a vegan, animal-rights crusader and environmentalist" (AP, 7/9)....Wasserman Media Group has signed EPL club Manchester United MF RYAN GIGGS. Giggs will be repped by RHODRI BURGESS (WMG)....Pro Football HOFer DON SHULA opened his 34th restaurant in Delray, Fla., last month, debuting fast-casual restaurant Shula Burger at Delray Marketplace as the “latest concept for Shula’s Steak Houses.” Another Shula Burger is “slated to open in Kissimmee in October” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 7/10)….Thunder F KEVIN DURANT purchased two townhomes in an Oklahoma City suburb and “plans to convert them into one 7,400-square-foot residence” (TULSA WORLD, 7/9)….Lakers C CHRIS KAMAN sold his Manhattan Beach, Calif., home for $4.2M (LATIMES.com, 7/9)….SERENA WILLIAMS “will host the BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis" on Aug. 22 with chef MARCUS SAMUELSSON (N.Y. POST, 7/10)….Ravens RB RAY RICE attended WWE’s Monday Night Raw in Baltimore “sporting a Brooklyn Nets hat he donned sideways” (BALTIMORESUN.com, 7/9).
