NBC Sports Network’s Michelle Beadle said of Knicks G Iman Shumpert being forced by the NBA to shave an adidas logo he had cut into his hair, “That seems like a lawsuit." Beadle: "If I’m one of those ambulance chaser lawyers out there, like a Gloria Allred, I’m all over that thing" (“The Crossover,” NBC Sports Network, 4/8). Denver Post columnist Woody Paige said, “I don’t believe your employer can say, ‘Oh you can’t have an unusual hair design.’” But columnist Kevin Blackistone noted the NBA “can do whatever they want." Blackistone: "They’ve been doing it, telling guys how to dress and now they’re telling them what logos you can put in your hair. Who knows what they’re going to tell you next. That’s the way Stern runs this league” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 4/8).
WAITING FOR THE OTHER SHOE TO DROP: Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson yesterday announced that sportswear maker Fila is "reintroducing a KJ7 shoe next winter, honoring Johnson's days as an NBA star." In Sacramento, Kasler & Lillis note because Johnson "isn't allowed to accept royalties as mayor, Fila is making a $25,000 donation to the Sacramento Public Policy Foundation." In addition, the company will "make a donation of $25,000 to Think Big Sacramento, the task force devoted to building a new arena for the Kings." Fila officials said that the shoes "will be introduced at next year's NBA All-Star Game" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 4/9).
FLY THE COOP: In Baltimore, Alison Matas reports a federal judge last week "threw out a Baltimore security guard's copyright infringement case" against NFL Properties, saying there was "no evidence the NFL had licensed the use of the Ravens logo he'd designed to a software company." Frederick Bouchat has been "credited with designing the Ravens' first logo, known as the 'Flying B logo.'" Bouchat claimed that he "wasn't getting credit for the use of the logo in some Madden NFL video games" (Baltimore SUN, 4/9).
CHECK MATE: In N.Y., Sarah Lyall noted chess player Magnus Carlsen is at the "center of a campaign carefully constructed by him and his handlers to use his intelligence, looks and nimble news-media-charming skills to increase his profile outside the sport." Carlsen has been profiled on "60 Minutes," has "modeled (along with Liv Tyler) for a major clothing label" and was "offered a role" as a chess player in "Star Trek Into Darkness." Carlsen's manager Espen Agdestein said that his client earned about $1.2M last year, some 60-70% of it "from sponsorship deals." Most recently, Carlsen signed a deal with Seattle-based cloud-computing firm Parallels, "which flew him over to impress its customers at a conference" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/8).
