Pro Football HOFer PAUL HORNUNG "sued equipment manufacturer Riddell" on Thursday, saying football helmets that he wore during his professional career in the '50s and '60s "failed to protect him from brain injury." Hornung's attorneys filed the civil lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago, naming Riddell as the defendant (AP 7/8). The lawsuit "seeks damages of at least $50,000." Riddell is already a "co-defendant with the NFL in a class-action lawsuit filed by thousands of former football players who accused the company and the league of hiding the dangers of concussions from them" (N.Y. TIMES 7/8).
HARD HAT: Pro Football HOFer THURMAN THOMAS is "making a run at a new career operating a construction company." Thomas partnered with former NFLer FULTON JOHNSON to form 3480 Group, a "construction and engineering firm that specializes in telecommunications and handles other jobs." The small startup company, founded two years ago, has mostly operated in the Southeast, particularly the Atlanta area, as well as Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. But the company is now "seeking to make inroads in upstate and Western New York after moving its headquarters to Buffalo" (BUFFALO NEWS 7/8).
START ME UP: Former NFLer RICKY WILLIAMS is set to "open a new venture" in S.F. -- a gym that "allows you to smoke marijuana while working out" (PALM BEACH POST, 7/8)....Texans DE JADEVEON CLOWNEY will “host the grand opening of his newest business venture" Kure Vaporium in Columbia on July 19 (THESTATE.com, 7/8).
NAMES: L.A.-based law firms Bloom & Ruttenberg and Ginzburg & Bronshteyn on Thursday sued former Clippers Owner DONALD STERLING in L.A. Superior Court, alleging that he “owes them more than $271,000 for representing him during the legal fight over the franchise” in ’14 (L.A. TIMES, 7/8)....Pristine Auction will “conduct online bidding from July 17 through Aug. 14 for memorabilia that had belonged” to late Pro Football HOFer-elect KEN STABLER (AL.com, 7/6)....NFL scout ZACHARY HILLER claims that agents NEIL SCHWARTZ and JONATHAN FEINSOD, of Schwartz & Feinsod, did not “pay him for helping scout" from May ’11 to February ’16 -- and “stiffed him on $70,000 in job-related expenses” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/8)....Red Sox P CLAY BUCHHOLZ on Thursday hosted his annual Buchholz Bowl at Jillian’s Lucky Strike and the House of Blues in Boston. The event was “attended by most of his teammates” and was a benefit for the Buchholz Foundation (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/8).
IN MEMORY: Former IndyCar team Owner CARL HAAS died June 29. For 29 seasons, Haas partnered with PAUL NEWMAN to form the "second-most dominant Indy car team in history.” The team “ceased operations" in ’11, but from ’83 until then, its collection of drivers, owners and crew members “won 107 Indy car races, second only to Team Penske’s 121 over the same period.” The team's final win came in ’08 (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/8).
