ANDRE AGASSI yesterday in Milwaukee opened the Rocketship Southside Community Prep charter school. Rocketship has become the "highest growth charter school system in the country, and is funded by the nation's first market-driven real estate fund" (TODAYSTMJ4.com, 9/17). Milwaukee is serving as the Calif.-based group's "first expansion site and is a litmus test for how successful the schools can be with low-income and minority students in other cities." Rocketship intends to "open eight K-5 schools in Milwaukee by 2017, serving up to 5,000 students" (JSONLINE.com, 9/16).
ON THE CATWALK: Tennis player SLOANE STEPHENS recently participated in N.Y. Fashion Week and said of her off-court pursuits, "I'm an online shopper, so that's what I do in my free time. A lot of online shopping and I just like to see new styles and new people. And this fashion line -- Boy Meets Girl -- I find interesting. It's good to learn about new things and see new things." She added, "I just love fashion. I just love the whole magazine thing. I definitely want to get into it, but I don't know what I'll do yet" (ESPNW.com, 9/16).
COVERING UP: Boxer FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. yesterday issued an apology "for a photo and captions on his Instagram account ridiculing" Golden Boy Promotions President OSCAR DE LA HOYA’s "time in a treatment facility." Mayweather said the images were "not posted by me or authorized by me to post." The images showed a "distraught-appearing De La Hoya, the headline 'Meanwhile In Rehab' is followed by words below the photo that say, 'Oscar: I gave CANELO the wrong blueprint I was high'” (L.A. TIMES, 9/17).
NAMES: A 12-acre corn maze in the likeness of Colts QB ANDREW LUCK "is about to open in northeastern Indiana." Creator LARRY SMITH "sought permission from the Colts for the design." He estimates the maze "could help draw some 10,000 people" to his farm's festival during the six weeks it is open (AP, 9/16)....Former NHLers SCOTT THORNTON and MIKE KRUSHELNYSKI will "be among the competitors" in the upcoming season of CBC's "BATTLE OF THE BLADES" (CP, 9/15)....Lightning Owner JEFF VINIK yesterday tore down his $4.25M, 6,000-square-foot mansion on St. Armand’s Key to “make way for what neighbors say will be a three-story home” for his family. The home “spans half a football field of waterfront in one of Sarasota’s toniest enclaves” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 9/17)….Rockets Owner LESLIE ALEXANDER put an $8.4M down payment on a $42M, 8,000-square-foot penthouse in N.Y.’s Gramercy Park neighborhood (CHRON.com, 9/16).
IN MEMORY: Former CFL Calgary Stampeders Owner SIG GUTSCHE died Saturday at the age of 64. Gutsche purchased the “destitute Stampeders through receivership court” in ’96 for C$1.6M. The “little white-thatched Hard Rock Café owner often referred to himself as a ‘small player swimming in red ink,’ compared to his deep-pocketed CFL partners” (CALGARY HERALD, 9/17). Gutsche is “credited with successfully seeing the Stampeders through a time of turmoil.” Stampeders Exec VP STAN SCHWARTZ said, “The Stampeders and football fans in Calgary will forever owe a debt of gratitude to Sig for his passion and commitment” (CALGARY SUN, 9/16)….Longtime Madison Square Garden employee AL MARCHFELD died earlier this month and “left a void that will be nearly impossible to fill.” Marchfeld started out “as a statistician, and later worked on the Knicks’ game-night staff in the press box” (ESPN.com, 9/16).
