T'Wolves Owner GLEN TAYLOR has "made a formal offer to acquire" the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Taylor yesterday said that he "made a cash offer as an individual without any other investors." But he "declined to say how much he has offered to pay." Taylor: "It isn't that I'm interested in going around and buying papers in other parts of the country. I'm interested in this one because it's a Minnesota paper" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/2). Taylor would become "at least the third major sports owner to buy the local daily paper." Red Sox Owner JOHN HENRY purchased the Boston Globe last October for $70M, while the DOLAN family, which owns the Knicks, purchased Newsday through their Cablevision platform for $650M in '08 (N.Y. POST, 4/2).
THE SUNSHINE STATE OF THINGS: NHL Panthers Owner VINCENT VIOLA's Virtu trading firm is "drawing a bit more attention for the practices that have helped the company become so successful." While it "doesn't sound like Virtu was doing anything explicitly illegal, the practices could still come under great attention and perhaps litigation awaits." It is "just something worth paying attention to moving forward" (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/1). Meanwhile, the Panthers need a "five-vote majority to get" an $80M bailout from the Broward County Commission. To "aid in that effort, they've hired seven lobbyists" (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 4/1).
AYE, AYE CAPTAIN: Yankees SS DEREK JETER yesterday "spent part of the afternoon having lunch" with former MLBer ROGER CLEMENS and former U.S. President GEORGE H.W. BUSH, who also attended last night's Yankees-Astros game with his wife, BARBARA. During pregame introductions, Jeter "drew the loudest cheers of any active player, an ovation that was outdone only by that given" to Astros Exec Advisor NOLAN RYAN, who "threw the ceremonial first pitch." The Astros "plan to honor Jeter" before today's game in a ceremony featuring Clemens and former MLBer ANDY PETTITTE (N.Y. TIMES, 4/2). Jeter's lunch with Clemens and Bush took place at Katch 22, a "restaurant co-owned by Clemens' son, KORY" (NJ.com, 4/2).
NAMES: A federal filing shows that Churchill Downs Inc.'s top five execs received $27.9M between them for '13. Most of the money -- $23.3M -- "came in the form of company stock that they will receive over the next four years." CDI President & COO WILLIAM CARSTANJEN made $9.9M, while Exec VP & CFO WILLIAM MUDD made $8.3M, President of Churchill Downs Interactive JAMES GAY made $4.6M, and Exec VP & General Counsel ALAN TSE made $3.6M (WFPL.org, 4/1)....Red Sox DH DAVID ORTIZ during yesterday's visit to the White House took a selfie with PRESIDENT OBAMA after Ortiz had given Obama a Red Sox No. 44 jersey. Ortiz said, "You don’t get that opportunity every day to chat a little bit with the president and take a selfie with him" (MLB.com, 4/1)....The Florida State Univ. football team was "honored by legislators during Florida State Day" at the state capital in Tallahassee. FSU QB JAMEIS WINSTON was "recognized with his own resolution" yesterday, and he addressed the House afterward. Coach JIMBO FISHER also spoke, and presented Speaker WILL WEATHERFORD with an FSU jersey. Also representing the team was FSU AD STAN WILCOX (AP, 4/1)....Citi yesterday announced that it will launch "Citi ThankYou Home Runs for Communities Program" at Citi Field during the '14 season. The company will donate $2,000 to one of four tri-state area community partners when a Mets player hits a home run. Mets CF CURTIS GRANDERSON is helping launch the program (Citi).
