SOMETIMES YOU GET THE HORNS: In response to PAUL HORNUNG's comments Tuesday that NOTRE DAME should relax its academic requirements for football players to "get the black athlete," the university issued a statement saying, "Paul Hornung is an illustrious alumnus of Notre Dame, but in no way speaks for the university — and we strongly disagree with the thesis of his remarks. They are generally insensitive and specifically insulting to our past and current African American student-athletes." Hornung yesterday said, "I should have said all athletes, not just African-American athletes. It's tough for white athletes to get into Notre Dame. I meant to say, I should have said, the best athlete. The only thing I can do is apologize if I offended anyone" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/1). Hornung: "I didn't say anything I thought would be offensive. That's not what I intended" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/1).
FRANKLY SPEAKING: In Toronto, Tony Van Alphen reports that Magna Chair FRANK STRONACH in '03 earned C$53.5M in salary, consulting fees and cash from exercising stock options, but "most of his future pay will be tied to corporate profits and not set fees." Magna will "change the way it pays most of Stronach's compensation to a consulting firm he controls in Austria so the amount is no longer fixed. Instead, the compensation will have a direct link to the auto-parts maker's pretax profits" (TORONTO STAR, 4/1).
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The Donald With Rodriguez' Real Estate
Agents, Avery (left) And Adam Modlin |
NAMES: The MLB Cardinals announced that PRESIDENT BUSH will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the club's season-opener against the Brewers April 5 at Busch Stadium (Cardinals)....The N.Y. POST's "Page Six" reports DONALD TRUMP recently flew ALEX RODRIGUEZ' real estate agent ADAM MODLIN to Florida on his private jet, and put him up at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach after the two visited with Rodriguez in Tampa. Rodriguez is reportedly looking to spend about $20M on a home, and Trump is trying to lure Rodriguez into buying an apartment in one of his buildings (N.Y. POST, 4/1)....Graphic Design USA Magazine honored NHL Creative Services Department Creative Dir KATHY DREW and Design Dir PAUL CONWAY with four American Graphic Design Awards for Excellence in Communication and Graphic Design for their work on the '03 NHL All-Star Environmental Graphics and the '03 NHL League Meetings logo as well as the '03 All-Star Invitation Package and the NHL Street Fit Program print collateral materials (NHL)....NIAGARA UNIV. "has put on hold plans to discuss using" alumnus and basketball HOFer CALVIN MURPHY to promote the school after Murphy was charged Monday with aggravated sexual assault in Houston. Niagara AD MIKE HERMANN said that the school was "considering expanding Murphy's prominence in its marketing campaign next year" (USA TODAY, 4/1).
