Georgia-based Hershend Family Entertainment, the company that operates Stone Mountain Park and Dollywood in Tennessee, has "acquired the Harlem Globetrotters." Financial terms of the deal with Shamrock Capital Advisors were not disclosed. HFE said that the deal will allow it to "cross-market attractions to reach a larger audience." The Globetrotters "employ more than 90 people, including players, staff and coaches." HFE said that current management and the player roster "will remain the same" (AJC.com, 10/1).
IRON MIKE: USA Boxing President CHARLES BUTLER "came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter" to Boxing HOFer MIKE TYSON that "accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U.S. Olympic team" in '16. Butler in a letter wrote that the recently formed Iron Mike Productions "has been offering money to the best amateur fighters to turn pro," including 18-year-old Florida-based fighter ERICKSON LUBIN, "who some in amateur boxing believe to be the country's best hope for a gold medal at the Rio games." Butler said the money being offered is "pennies on the dollar" compared to what the prospects could be worth with an Olympic medal (AP, 10/1).
LEGAL MANEUVERING: The N.C. Court of Appeals yesterday "unanimously upheld a lower court's rulings dismissing" SMI Chair & CEO BRUTON SMITH's fight with Cabarrus County for $80M in improvements for Charlotte Motor Speedway (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/2)....Illinois-based First Security Trust & Savings Bank, owned by Blackhawks Chair ROCKY WIRTZ, "has been ordered by regulators to improve its compliance procedures." The bank also was ordered to "beef up oversight by its board of directors and that its compliance officer and compliance committee take a more active role" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 10/1)
SILVER SCREEN: Millennium Entertainment "has acquired all U.S. rights to 'LIFE OF A KING,' a drama that stars CUBA GOODING JR. as a chess-playing ex-con." JAKE GOLDBERGER directed the film from a script he co-wrote with ESPN Dir of Communications DAVID SCOTT and Yahoo Sports writer DAN WETZEL (VARIETY.com, 9/30)....Former college baseball player turned filmmaker RYAN BROOKS has "filed suit against Warner Bros.," alleging that the film "TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE" was "lifted from the scripts and concept reel of one of his passion projects." In addition to copyright infringement, the suit also "makes a series of claims including breach of contract, unjust enrichment and racketeering." Film director CLINT EASTWOOD "was not named as a defendant" (VARIETY.com, 10/1).
CHARITY STRIPE: The Dodgers and members of Guggenheim Partners yesterday announced a $250,000 gift to the L.A.P.D., which will outfit officers "with small video cameras that would record their encounters with people." The gift comes "on the heels of other sizable donations," including $250,000 from WMG Chair & CEO CASEY WASSERMAN (L.A. TIMES, 10/2)....New Balance yesterday announced the launch of its Lace Up 365 program to mark the 25th anniversary of its partnership with Susan G. Komen (New Balance).
AROUND THE DIAMOND: TBS MLB analyst PEDRO MARTINEZ "just struck a deal with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to publish his memoirs." "PEDRO" will be co-written by Boston Herald reporter MICHAEL SILVERMAN. Publication is scheduled for '14 (BOSTONHERALD.com, 10/1)....Retiring Rockies 1B TODD HELTON took out a full-page ad in Monday’s Denver Post “to thank the fans” (CBSSPORTS.com, 9/30)....Angels P C.J. WILSON writes about driving his McLaren MP4-12C from L.A. to Big Sur with his fiancée, noting he has “always been a McLaren fan" because of their F1 team and late driver AYRTON SENNA (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/2).
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Avicii performed at the MLB Fan Cave after
last night's Pirates-Reds game |
NAMES: Tennis HOFer ANDRE AGASSI and Canyon Capital Realty Advisors Chair & CEO BOBBY TURNER yesterday attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Franklin Academy charter school in Boynton Beach, Fla. (PALM BEACH POST, 10/2)….Rockets C DWIGHT HOWARD, Warriors G STEPHEN CURRY and Knicks C TYSON CHANDLER are among NBA players who will appear on Disney XD in November during the net’s “Pranksgiving” programming (AP, 10/1)….DJ AVICII performed a concert at the MLB Fan Cave following last night's Pirates-Reds game (MLB)....Thunder F KEVIN DURANT bought two town homes at the Hill in downtown Oklahoma City for $1.769M in July, and “took out a $400,000 building permit to convert them into one 7,400-square-foot residence” (NEWSOK.com, 10/1)….Singer KIMBERLY PERRY and Blue Jays C J.P. ARENCIBIA are engaged and “plan to wed next summer” (TENNESSEAN.com, 10/1).
IN MEMORY: Author and Orioles investor TOM CLANCY "died last night in a hospital in Baltimore" at the age of 66 (TWITTER.com, 10/2). Clancy emerged as the likely buyer of the Vikings in February of '98 with a bid reportedly to be around $200M. Clancy then received the blessing from then-NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE over current team President ROGER HEADRICK. But then Clancy had difficulty raising the financing, and asked for and was denied extensions on the deal. Three months later, Clancy announced he was abandoning his bid (THE DAILY).
