Texans DE J.J. WATT's Hurricane Harvey fundraising effort has reached more than $18M. The funds have yet to be touched, and Watt said that he will "formulate a plan for the donation money before it's used to help those in need." Watt: "The biggest thing everybody keeps telling me is take your time, make sure you do it right. So that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to take my time, make sure that I work with local organizations and we do it right here in the city, so that money goes straight to the people here of Houston who need it the most." Watt has been the "driving force behind the Texans' Harvey involvement" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/4).
KICKING BACK: The state of New Mexico in a lawsuit claims that Chiefs Chair & CEO CLARK HUNT "improperly secured hundreds of millions in state investment money through a kickback deal tied to former New Mexico Gov. BILL RICHARDSON’s administration." The lawsuit "contends that Hunt agreed to a 'pay to play' arrangement 12 years ago with political insiders ANTHONY and MARC CORRERA." The Correras were to "use their influence to steer state investment money to a hedge fund firm in which Hunt was a partner." Hunt's attorney, ROB HOFFMAN, "issued a statement denying the allegations" (K.C. STAR, 9/4).
NOT STOPPING NOW: The Penguins have won three Stanley Cups since DAVID MOREHOUSE was named President & CEO in '07, but if fans are "thinking that Morehouse's work here is done, that he's turned things around from a business standpoint and may be plotting his next career move, think again." Morehouse is "simply having too much fun enjoying all of the Penguins' recent success to think about doing something else." Morehouse: "I have the best job in the world. I don’t see myself doing anything else in the near future. I actually think we can win a couple more Cups" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/5).
NAMES: The planned construction of a private prep school has divided the city of White Plains, N.Y., "pitting supporters" against residents including former MLBer MARIANO RIVERA. He wrote to White Plains Mayor TOM ROACH, calling the building project “unworkable and unsafe” (N.Y. POST, 9/5)....KOBE BRYANT "recited his 'Dear Basketball' poem alongside legendary film composer JOHN WILLIAMS and his orchestra Friday at the Hollywood Bowl." Bryant "initially penned his ode to basketball" for The Players' Tribune in November '15. Following his retirement, Bryant "turned 'Dear Basketball' into an animated short film featuring music composed by Williams" (ROLLINGSTONE.com, 9/2)....MSG Owner JAMES DOLAN is “setting off on a whirlwind concert tour” with his blues band, JD & THE STRAIGHT SHOT. Dolan’s band will be opening for THE DOOBIE BROTHERS and CHICAGO (N.Y. POST, 9/3)....Capitals C NICKLAS BACKSTROM received a “sizeable bonus” for helping lead Team Sweden to an IIHF championship in May and has decided to “donate it all to his former youth hockey organization, Valbo HC.” The bonus was worth about $10,000 (CSNMIDATLANTIC.com, 9/3)....ESPN’s KIRK HERBSTREIT is one of the owners of the horse SOUL STREIT, who made his "second start” yesterday in the 7-furlong Del Mar Futurity (DAILYNEWS.com, 9/1)....Fox’ TROY AIKMAN and his fiancée, CAPA MOOTY, were “wed on Saturday in a small ceremony on the beach in Santa Barbara, Calif.” The ceremony was for “close friends and family only” (DALLASNEWS.com, 9/3)....RAFAEL NADAL was “spotted off the court” this week at N.Y. eatery Avra Madison. Fellow tennis player JOHN ISNER also was at N.Y.’s Davio’s lounge (NYPOST.com, 9/4).
