In L.A., Bill Shaikin reported an attorney for former Dodgers Owner FRANK MCCOURT argued his ex-wife, JAMIE, has “no claim to half the proceeds from the sale” of the team and “no grounds to throw out a divorce settlement never intended to provide her with that.” L.A. Superior Court Judge SCOTT GORDON yesterday “heard closing arguments in the matter,” then “indicated he would not rule before a related procedural hearing on June 5.” The Dodgers were sold for $2B last year, five months after Jamie McCourt “agreed to settle the couple’s divorce by relinquishing any claim to the team” in exchange for $131M. Frank McCourt attorney BOB SACKS said the deal was “consistent with her risk-averse approach. … She now wishes she had made a different deal” (LATIMES.com, 4/24).
ON THE SLATE: A film called “WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL,” based on a book of the same title by Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist NEIL HAYES, started production in New Orleans this week. The film tells the true story of high school football coach BOB LADOUCEUR, who spent 34 years as coach at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., before retiring after last season. The film stars JIM CAVIEZEL, LAURA DERN and MICHAEL CHIKLIS, and is scheduled for release in fall ’14 (THE DAILY).
CHARITY STRIPE: Pirates manager CLINT HURDLE and his wife, KARLA, along with Pirates Charities and in partnership with Root Sports announced the return of the “Wins for Kids” fundraising campaign this season (Pirates)….The Gene & Jerry Jones Family Charities will make a $100,000 donation to The Salvation Army to assist with the charity’s disaster relief efforts in West, Texas (Cowboys)….Rutgers football coach KYLE FLOOD yesterday was among 17 people cited as "Hurricane Sandy Champions of Change” at the White House for relief efforts by the football program “spearheaded by Flood” (NJ.com, 4/24).
REAL ESTATE LISTINGS: Bruins RW JAROME IGINLA has sold his Calgary home for nearly C$4M “after being on the real estate market for just one day” (CALGARY HERALD, 4/25)….Former MLBer FRANK THOMAS put his “six-bedroom, 5,700-square-foot home” in Libertyville, Ill., on the market for $1.95M. He paid $1.8M for the home in '07 (CHICAGOMAG.com, 4/24).
NAMES: Texans RB ARIAN FOSTER will “play the role of fictional NFL draft prospect Ray Jennings” in the film “DRAFT DAY” (NFL.com, 4/24)….Hedge fund manager WARREN LICHTENSTEIN is bringing Rays investor ANDREW CADER into his “costly legal battle” with ex-girlfriend ANNABELLE BOND, “accusing Cader of conspiring to defraud him by aiding Bond to inflate her required child-support costs” (N.Y. POST, 4/25)….Falcons Owner ARTHUR BLANK will host PRESIDENT OBAMA and U.S. Sen. MICHAEL BENNET (D-Colo.) at a “special brunch reception” for the Democratic Senatorial Congressional Committee at the Arthur Blank Family Foundation HQs in Atlanta (CLATL.com, 4/24)….Former MLBer BRET SABERHAGEN “decided to auction off much of his personal memorabilia at an online site that also features other former athletes.” Saberhagen initially “rebuffed an offer to sell the items, but he realized that most of his collection was gathering dust in a storage unit.” Proceeds from the auction will “go to his charitable foundation and his four children” (K.C. STAR, 4/25)….Bruins D ANDREW FERENCE and his daughter STELLA were “among the locals who came out to celebrate the reopening of the Boston Public Library” (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/25).
IN MEMORY: Buffalo News sports columnist LARRY FELSER, who “chronicled Buffalo sports for more than 50 years and became an icon in the newspaper business, died Wednesday at age 80.” Felser worked for the Buffalo News for “38 years, his last 25 as the lead sports columnist for the paper” (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/25).
