Hurricanes Owner PETER KARMANOS on Thursday was elected to the U.S. Hockey HOF along with former NHLers DOUG WEIGHT and BILL GUERIN, former Michigan State Univ. men's hockey coach RON MASON and CINDY CURLEY, who has "been called one of the pioneers of women's hockey." Karmanos' contributions to hockey "are considerable." He has "funded youth hockey programs in the Detroit area for decades." He also owns the OHL Plymouth Whalers and ECHL Florida Everblades (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 7/26).
HEIR APPARENT? In London, Kevin Eason suggested possible successors to F1 CEO BERNIE ECCLESTONE, and notes CLO SACHA WOODWARD-HILL is "rarely seen and relatively unknown," but she is Ecclestone’s "right-hand woman." She is "one of very few people in the F1 organisation who has his complete trust." Ecclestone when asked who might succeed him said, "Why not a woman? I believe that women generally don’t have such big egos and they don’t need to go and play golf to close deals. They simply work harder to get the same recognition as men and, because their ego is less important" (LONDON TIMES, 7/25).
ACTING OUT: The Oprah Winfrey Network has "handed out a series order to 'IT'S PRIME TIME,' a docuseries starring" former Pro Football HOFer DEION SANDERS (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 7/25)....Clippers F BLAKE GRIFFIN is "being courted for a role" in the indie film "FLOCK OF DUDES" (DEADLINE.com, 7/23)....Director TOMMY BROWN's latest project, "THE BOOTH," focuses on MLB announcers, including VIN SCULLY, DON SUTTON, BOB UECKER, CHIP CARAY, TOMMY HUTTON, RICH WALTZ, DUANE KUIPER, MARTY BRENNAMAN, DAVE O'BRIEN, ED FARMER, JON MILLER and DAVE FLEMING (PALM BEACH POST, 7/24).
NAMES: 49ers DB TARELL BROWN “decided to part ways” with agent BRIAN OVERSTREET (FOXSPORTS.com, 7/25)….TNT NBA analyst SHAQUILLE O’NEAL’s home on the westside of L.A. has “come on the market” for $9.5M (LATIMES.com, 7/25)….Cubs President of Baseball Operations THEO EPSTEIN is “selling his six-bedroom, five-bath” home in Chestnut Hill, Mass., for “something in the neighborhood” of $3.6M. Epstein paid $2.35M for the home in ’07 (BOSTONHERALD.com, 7/25).
IN MEMORY: Former World Equestrian Games CEO and Goodwill Games President JACK KELLY died Wednesday after a two-year battle with bladder cancer. He was 68 (KENTUCKY.com, 7/25). Kelly also was the exec dir of the ’86 Olympic Festival in Houston and a “consultant to Houston’s bids to host the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.” Former Houston 2012 Foundation Chair GEORGE DEMONTROND said, “Houston lost a great supporter in Jack” (CHRON.com, 7/25).
