FOXSPORTSOHIO.com’s Pat McManamon noted Browns Exec VP/Business Operations BRYAN WIEDMEIER is facing his "most significant challenge: Grade 4 brain cancer diagnosed about three weeks ago.” His focus during an interview was “to talk about the positives that come from his situation, which include no significant brain damage” following surgery to remove a tumor (FOXSPORTSOHIO.com, 11/20).
LOVE YA, BLUE? Former NFLer DAN PASTORINI is suing attorney MICHAEL HAUSFELD for allegedly not keeping him apprised of settlement offers from the NFL, and for not paying his travel expenses tied to the lawsuit against NFL Films. Hausfeld is one of several lawyers representing a class of former players suing NFL Films for not paying them for their images. A status conference is scheduled for tomorrow. Pastorini, one of six named plaintiffs in the case, sued Hausfeld last week in state court in Texas, where he resides. He asked the court to force Hausfeld to meet his fiduciary and legal duties, and pay damages (Daniel Kaplan, SportsBusiness Journal).
EVEN KEEL: In N.Y., Ben Shpigel profiled NFL Jets Owner WOODY JOHNSON. Sources said that Johnson is “not prone to emotional outbursts.” When the Jets “are playing well, he cheers and offers the occasional high-five.” When they “are not -- or he is disappointed for other reasons -- he tends to get quiet, reflective” (N.Y. TIMES, 11/22)….Jets fan ED ANZALONE announced last night that he “no longer will attend home games as Fireman Ed.” In a guest column for Metro New York, Anzalone wrote he made the decision because “confrontations with other Jets fans have become more common” (ESPNNY.com, 11/25).
I LOVE A PARADE: KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, CHRISTIAN LAETTNER and DAVID THOMPSON took part in the 86th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, riding in the NCAA's float to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the men's basketball tournament. NBC's MATT LAUER said, “March Madness has grown tremendously, becoming one of the world's most popular sporting events all year. Those legends have given us a lot of great moments to remember” (“86th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” NBC, 11/22)....Gold Medal-winning U.S. gymnast MCKAYLA MARONEY watched the Jets game against the Patriots on Thanksgiving from the Green Room at MetLife Stadium. After “appearing on a float in the Macy’s parade,” Maroney attended the game with Gold Medal-winning U.S. gymnast JORDYN WIEBER and their families (N.Y. POST, 11/25).
NAMES: Colts cheerleaders MEGAN M. and CRYSTAL B. “agreed to have their heads shaved to benefit leukemia research” during the Bills-Colts game yesterday (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/25)....The Dolphins, before their game versus the Seahawks yesterday, “announced that the Dolphins Cycling Challenge, held Nov. 3-4 with 3,329 riders, raised” $2.2M for the Univ. of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The project has “raised more than” $3.8M for cancer research in three years (PALM BEACH POST, 11/26)....Penguins co-Owner & Chair MARIO LEMIEUX recently “took possession” of a new $20M, 15,000-square-foot home in Mont Tremblant, Quebec’s “high end ski resort town” (QMI AGENCY, 11/24)….A custom-built 8,500-square-foot house in Piscataway, N.J., belonging to Buccaneers and former Rutgers Univ. coach GREG SCHIANO has “been on the market for more than seven months without a bite.” Schiano “recently reduced the asking price” from $2.3M to $1.95M (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 11/24)….Gold Medal-winning Jamaican sprinter USAIN BOLT was named the IAAF World Athlete of the Year for the fourth time on Saturday. Gold Medal-winning U.S. sprinter ALLYSON FELIX won the women’s award (AP, 11/24)….Sporting News columnist LISA OLSON was named the ’13 winner of the Mary Garber Pioneer Award given by the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM)....MLS Galaxy MF LANDON DONOVAN is “not sure he’ll return” to the league following this season. Donovan said, “I’m going to take as much time as I need and decide if and when I’m ready to come back” (L.A. TIMES, 11/26)....Last week’s edition of NBC’s “GUYS WITH KIDS” featured an appearance by Pro Football HOFer EMMITT SMITH (THE DAILY).
IN MEMORY: Buffalo attorney ROBERT SWADOS, known as a “founding father who helped bring the Sabres to Buffalo and remained active with the team throughout its first 42 years," was found dead Friday at the age of 93. SEYMOUR KNOX IV, son and nephew of the Sabres' first owners, said of Swados, “He was the elder statesman for the Sabres. ... On a day-to-day basis, he was involved in all the decisions, whether it was building the arena or bringing [Hockey HOFer] PAT LAFONTAINE to Buffalo. And he had a lot of insight into what was going on in the league.” At the time of his death, Swados “remained chairman of the Sabres Hall of Fame Committee.” In ’06, Swados wrote a “somewhat controversial book, ‘Counsel in the Crease’” (BUFFALO NEWS, 11/24).
