Former NBAer PERO ANTIC on Friday "filed a civil suit" against the NYPD for "false arrest, unlawful imprisonment, assault, battery, negligence, civil rights violations and malicious prosecution." Under Antic's notice of claim, filed last year, $25M "was set as the maximum Antic can recover." Hawks F THABO SEFOLOSHA yesterday also confirmed that he "will file suit this week." Sources said that Sefolosha's suit, which will "name the NYPD and other city agencies, will likely include charges of unlawful force, unlawful arrest and malicious prosecution." Sefolosha's notice of claim, also filed last year, set $50M as the "ceiling he can be compensated for damages." The suits "stem from an incident on April 8, 2015, outside Manhattan nightclub 1Oak, where both men were arrested" (ESPN.com, 4/3).
ENTERING THE RING? In N.Y., Kosman & Morgan cited a source as saying that there is a "strong rumor" that JOHN DE MOL, whose production company developed the TV show “BIG BROTHER,” has "made a standing offer to acquire" WWE should Controlling Owner VINCE MCMAHON ever decide to sell. De Mol’s Talpa Beheer last year acquired a 6% stake in WWE (N.Y. POST, 4/3). Meanwhile, there was a "long list of celebrities in Arlington" last night for WrestleMania 32, including Cowboys Owner JERRY JONES and Exec VP & Chief Brand Officer CHARLOTTE JONES-ANDERSON. TNT's SHAQUILLE O'NEAL "appeared in one of the matches, and rapper SNOOP DOGG also appeared onstage." Stars C TYLER SEGUIN, comedian MIKE EPPS, actor O'SHEA JACKSON, E! News' MARIA MENOUNOS, comedian DENNIS MILLER and HBO's BILL SIMMONS were also in attendance (DALLASNEWS.com, 4/3).
HONOR ROLL: Mets 3B DAVID WRIGHT and clubhouse manager KEVIN KIERST have "decided to specially design a Mets championship belt" and give it to the player who "most contributes to that day’s win" as a way to remember late Senior Media Relations Dir SHANNON FORDE. Mets alums RON DARLING, KEITH HERNANDEZ, JOHN FRANCO, EDGARDO ALFONZO and WILLIE RANDOLPH "will pay tribute to Forde Wednesday night by helping raise money for the family she left behind." They "will be signing autographs at a fundraiser at Foley’s Pub & Restaurant in Manhattan" from 7:00-9:00pm ET (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/3).
WALKING TO HIS OWN DRUM: Golfer BUBBA WATSON was profiled on CBS’ “60 Minutes” last night ahead of this week's The Masters, with CBS’ Sharyn Alfonsi noting Watson is “one of the most gifted and creative shotmakers on the Tour, but he’s also one of the most complicated and polarizing personalities in golf.” Watson is a “dash of juvenile, a dash of genius and a full cup of cocky.” Watson said he is “so fearful of things,” including crowds, that he should not be afraid of. Alfonsi asked, “How do you reconcile that when you have to go out there and play golf with hundreds of people all around you?” Watson: “In between holes is really scary to me because there's so many people that close to you. … I’m just scared of people.” TED SCOTT, Watson’s caddie, said Watson is “scared of everything.” Scott: “He’s a mess, but he’s a fun mess” ("60 Minutes," CBS, 4/3).
CHARITY STRIPE: The Wild and Blackhawks on Friday announced a joint fundraising effort for MATT OLSON, who last month “suffered a severe spinal cord injury” playing for the USPHL Chicago Cougars. It has raised more than $177,000. The Wild and Blackhawks teamed up with FS North and CSN Chicago to “assist Olson’s family.” Players “wore stickers in honor” of Olson and the teams “dedicated Tuesday’s game" to the Olson family (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 4/2)….49ers WR TORREY SMITH on Saturday held his fifth annual charity basketball game at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, and among those who intended were Orioles CF ADAM JONES, Ravens QB JOE FLACCO and RB JUSTIN FORSETT. All proceeds for the event “benefited the Torrey Smith Foundation, which provides for at-risk youth” (Baltimore SUN, 4/3).
NAMES: Seahawks and Trail Blazers Owner PAUL ALLEN and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment have "worked together to save the 13,800 square feet of endangered coral" that was allegedly hit by Allen's $162M yacht in January (N.Y. POST, 4/4)....Hockey HOFer MARK MESSIER said that he is "baffled" over N.Y. "'reneging' on its commitment to turn over the lease to the long-shuttered Kingsbridge Armory to his development team so it can begin construction" on an ice-skating complex. The Kingsbridge National Ice Center "would be a 750,000-square-foot complex with nine ice rinks, a 5,500-seat arena and a community center" (N.Y. POST, 4/4)....MAROON 5 "closed out three days of free music" yesterday during the '16 NCAA March Madness Music Festival at Discovery Green in Houston. Rappers FLO RIDA and PITBULL "whipped fans into a frenzy earlier in the day with hit-filled sets and gyrating dancers." The venue "reached capacity" just after 5:00pm CT (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/4)....Former NFLer MARSHAWN LYNCH, President BILL CLINTON and his daughter CHELSEA "joined hundreds of volunteers at an Oakland school" yesterday for a day of service (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/4).
IN MEMORY: Former Duke AD TOM BUTTERS, who "most famously hired and stood by a young MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, died Thursday." He first came to Duke in '67 as a Dir of Special Events and "founded the Iron Dukes fundraising organization before taking over as AD" in '77. Butters "held that job until his retirement" in '97. Butters also "hired STEVE SPURRIER, who revitalized Duke football" from '87-89 (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 4/2).
