VARIETY's Andrea Seikaly noted the Paley Center for Media will "celebrate ESPN’s 35th anniversary by honoring the sports network at its annual spring benefit dinner" on May 28 in N.Y. ESPN Exec Chair GEORGE BODENHEIMER and President JOHN SKIPPER also will be "presented with the Paley Prize for Innovation and Excellence for their achievements in media and global impact." Anchors BOB LEY and CHRIS BERMAN will "serve as the evening’s emcees while prominent ESPN on-air personalities will host a retrospective look at each decade in ESPN’s history." The '80s will be hosted by JOHN SAUNDERS while KEITH OLBERMANN and STUART SCOTT will cover the '90s, "MIKE & MIKE" hosts MIKE GOLIC and MIKE GREENBERG will take on the '00s and LINDA COHN will present the current decade. "SPORTSNATION" host MICHELLE BEADLE will "provide commentary during the event by interacting with the sports and media luminaries in attendance" (VARIETY.com, 4/30).
LOOSENING THE PURSE STRINGS: ESPN.com's Dan Rafael noted boxer FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. will "earn a minimum guaranteed purse" of $32M for his welterweight unification fight with MARCOS MAIDANA on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Maidana's official purse "is a career-high" $1.5M, but he also "will earn more." Maidana will "make additional money from Argentina television rights and also has a chance to earn additional money depending on how well the pay-per-view performs" (ESPN.com, 4/30). Meanwhile, Golden Boy Promotions CEO RICHARD SCHAEFER said that he "wants a resolution of his shaky employment situation soon, and Mayweather said there always is a place under his umbrella for Schaefer" (MLIVE.com, 4/29).
A PIRATE'S LIFE: In N.Y., Selim Algar reports UFC is suing STEVEN MESSINA, "accusing him of being one of the Internet’s most prolific piraters of their wildly popular Pay-Per-View events." The promotion is seeking $32M from Messina. The UFC in its suit claims that Messina "uploaded 141 UFC presentations to controversial file-sharing sites like Piratebay and provided a PayPal donation link to keep the illegal practice going" (N.Y. POST, 5/1).
TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY: Fox is "developing an event series" about the '13 Boston Marathon bombings. Based on "LONG MILE HOME: BOSTON UNDER ATTACK, THE CITY'S COURAGEOUS RECOVERY AND THE EPIC HUNT FOR JUSTICE," by Boston Globe reporters SCOTT HELMAN and JENNA RUSSELL, the project will "be written, directed and executive produced" by ROD LURIE. It will "follow the heartbreak, terror and triumph on Boston's tragic Marathon day and the week that followed, told through the eyes of various Bostonians" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 4/30).
NAMES: Daytona Int'l Speedway President JOIE CHITWOOD III will be the "honorary chairman" of the 26th annual Motorsports HOF of America's Induction Ceremony on Aug. 6 at Detroit's Fillmore Theater (NEWS-JOURNALONLINE.com, 4/30)....SnowSports Industries America presented the Snow Sports Recognition Award to longtime U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association CEO BILL MAROLT (SnowSports)....The Oilers are “uprooting” the WAYNE GRETZKY statue outside Rexall Place and “moving him downtown” when the team moves to its new arena (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 5/1)….Octagon signed tennis player LOUISA CHIRICO, who will be represented by Client Manager MIKE SCHERER (Octagon)….A Clayton County (Ga.) grand jury yesterday indicted former NBAer MOOKIE BLAYLOCK on 14 charges, “including first-degree vehicular homicide, serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving.” He could “face up to 33 years in prison” (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 5/1)….Tennis HOFer MONICA SELES listed her 5,800-square-foot house in the Laurel Oak neighborhood of Sarasota, Fla. For $1.85M (Sarasota HERALD-TRIBUNE, 5/27)….Eagles QB NICK FOLES married his longtime girlfriend TORI MOORE (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 5/1).
