Ashe (l) was asked by Williams to stand down on his idea to kneel during the anthemU.S. MILITARY ACADEMY
JOHNNIE ASHE, the younger brother of the late ARTHUR ASHE, said that he "planned to take a knee as the national anthem was being played" during the flag ceremony at the U.S. Open in N.Y. on Monday. West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. DARRYL WILLIAMS "asked Ashe to stand down and he agreed to do so." Ashe said, "If it were just me, I would have knelt. ... I was concerned about [USTA President] KATRINA [ADAMS] and the general. They've got mountains they want to cross. No way in hell was I going to create any problems for them crossing those mountains" (THEUNDEFEATED.com, 9/4).
LEGAL MATTERS: A second "sweeping lawsuit has been filed" against Nike in the wake of reports about a "boy's club" culture at the company. The lawsuit was "filed on behalf of the company's shareholders, not former employees," and targets Nike's BOD and co-Founder & Chair Emeritus PHIL KNIGHT. The lawsuit "also names" former Nike Brand President TREVOR EDWARDS and Chair, President & CEO MARK PARKER as defendants. Four law firms, including N.Y.-based Pomerantz LLP "filed the lawsuit Friday" on behalf of three Nike investors (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/4)....The DOLAN family is "suing Altice USA -- the cable company to which it sold Cablevision" with its News 12 networks in '16 for $17.7B. The family alleges that it "sold the local news network to conglomerate Altice USA with the rest of Cablevision only because it promised to protect" the net's "journalistic integrity." The Dolans allege Altice "went back on its word almost immediately when it began laying off staff just a year later" (NYPOST.com, 9/4).
THE GOOD STUFF: A group of about 240 students and parents, including Yankees RF AARON JUDGE's mother, PATTY, attended Monday's Yankees-A's game "wearing #ICANHELP and ALL RISE TO HELP T-shirts." The #ICANHELP initiative was "founded by a pair of California educators who strive to equip our youngest generation with the tools necessary to combat the toxic behavior exhibited all too often on social media." Aaron Judge "met with the group a couple of hours before first pitch" (NYPOST.com, 9/4).
NAMES: Twins P JOSE BERRIOS has chosen Wasserman Senior VP/Baseball NICK CHANOCK and the Wasserman Media Group as his representatives (TWITTER.com, 9/4)....Winnipeg Sun Sports Editor TED WYMAN will be inducted in the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association's Media Honour Roll on Nov. 3 at the annual Manitoba Sports HOF dinner (WINNIPEG SUN, 9/5)....Duke men's basketball coach MIKE KRZYZEWSKI spoke to the U.S. Ryder Cup team in Philadelphia last night (THE DAILY)....Olympia Entertainment accountant VIJAY VIRUPANNAVAR was named to Crain's Detroit Business' "40 Under Forty" list for '18 for his role in the launch of Little Caesars Arena (CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS, 9/3 issue)....LEBRON JAMES visited Christ the King High School in Queens yesterday, gifting the school a "new locker room and gear" for its basketball teams (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 9/4).
TOUCHING TRIBUTE: Churchill Downs VP/Racing Communications JOHN ASHER passed away unexpectedly last week, and yesterday the hearse carrying his body "made a slow, lingering lap" around the racetrack while bugler STEVE BUTTLEMAN played "MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME." The tribute was Churchill Downs Senior VP & Track President KEVIN FLANERY's idea, and was "probably without precedent" (COURIER-JOURNAL.com, 9/4).
