DAVE SCOTT has "become the acting president of Comcast-Spectacor, but no one has been appointed to fill" PETER LUUKKO's spot with the Flyers. Team Chair ED SNIDER "made it sound as if it will remain that way." Snider on Friday said, "We're fine as we're now situated. As of now, we have no plans for a third person. I'm quite comfortable with that" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 12/8).
SHOW THEM THE WAY: In Detroit, Dave Birkett profiled Lions Senior Dir of Player Development GALEN DUNCAN, noting in his eighth season with the team, Duncan is tasked with preparing rookies "both for life as an NFL player and the eventual end to their playing careers." Duncan runs "a 10-week programs" for rookies. He has brought in Quicken Loans Founder and Cavaliers Owner DAN GILBERT among others "to talk about the importance of branding and players positioning themselves to take advantage of their individual success" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 12/8).
HONORING A LEGEND: The Yankees will "place a unique plaque in Monument Park" to commemorate a visit to the city by the late NELSON MANDELA in June '90. It will be unveiled on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15. The only other "non-Yankees to be honored at Monument Park" are late Baseball HOFer JACKIE ROBINSON, the three popes who have visited the stadium, and the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks (N.Y. TIMES, 12/9).
NAMES: Late U.S. Olympian JESSE OWENS' Gold Medal from the '36 Berlin Games sold for $1.47M, the highest price ever paid for Olympic memorabilia. The medal was purchased by Penguins co-Owner RON BURKLE, who has plans for an education tour (SPC Auctions)....An auction item offering a "private lunch" with Yankees 3B ALEX RODRIGUEZ as part of Red Sox DH DAVID ORTIZ' annual Celebrity Golf Classic "hasn't attracted even ONE bid." With an opening bid of $1,000, the lunch "was still sitting unwanted on the auction website last night" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/9)....Former MLBer MAGGLIO ORDONEZ has "been elected as the mayor" of the city of Sotillo in eastern Venezuela (AP, 12/7)....Pro Football HOFer JOHN HANNAH’s book "OFFENSIVE CONDUCT: MY LIFE ON THE LINE," is a "revealing and introspective look" at his life. Hannah's friend TOM HALE co-authored the book (BOSTON HERALD, 12/8)....The film "PUTIN’S GAMES," which chronicles perceived corruption behind the '14 Sochi Games, had a "heavily policed premiere in Moscow on Friday" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 12/6)....The Playa del Rey, Calif., mansion of late Lakers Owner JERRY BUSS "has come on the market" for $5.95M (LATIMES.com, 12/6).
IN MEMORY: JOHN IDZIK SR., the father of NFL Jets GM JOHN IDZIK, died of natural causes last Tuesday at the age of 85 (NJ.com, 12/7).
