Turnout at the JIMMY V CELEBRITY GOLF CLASSIC at
Prestonwood CC in Cary, NC, "easily topped the record" of
24,000 set the past two years. Tournament officials "were
confident" the foundation would reach its goal of $1M
(Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 8/31).....BOOMER ESIASON has a
novel, "Toss," which is about to be published. The story
chronicles "the misadventures of a young QB for the New York
Stars," and in N.Y., Neal Travis writes, "There's sex,
drugs, even a murders -- and that's just in training camp."
Esiason: "It's a little rough. I'll catch some heat on it,
but that's what you're supposed to do" (N.Y. POST,
8/31)....Former NBA ref DONALD VADEN was sentenced to six
months' home confinement and two years' probation for tax
fraud. Vaden is one of eight NBA refs charged in the matter
(CBS SportsLine, 8/28).....DEBARTOLO RACING said its deal to
sell three of its race tracks to FL-based investment company
Call Now has "fallen apart." The deal was "believed to be
somewhere between" $50M-$60M (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/28).
Reports have Yankees Owner GEORGE STEINBRENNER as a
"potential buyer" of one of the tracks, Thistledown, outside
of Cleveland (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/30).