Berg was the inspiration for the Paul Rudd film "The Catcher Was A Spy" released in JuneGETTY IMAGES
Documentary filmmaker AVIVA KEMPNER is dedicated to celebrating the "untold stories of Jewish heroes." After more than two years of research, she "plans to release her latest project," which will focus on late former MLBer MOE BERG's "life from his birth in 1902 through the end of World War II, in the spring" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 9/25). Berg was also the focus of a feature film released in June, starring PAUL RUDD, called "THE CATCHER WAS A SPY." The film grossed only $938,904 worldwide, according to data from BoxOfficeMojo.com (THE DAILY).
FUNNY TAKE: The real-life "misadventures of central figures" in the '13 MLB doping scandal play like "outrageous twists and turns in the seriocomic crime fiction of CARL HIAASEN or ELMORE LEONARD throughout 'SCREWBALL,' an impudently entertaining documentary that suggests what might result if the MONTY PYTHON troupe were given carte blanche to produce an investigative report for '60 MINUTES.'" The film was created by BILLY CORBEN (VARIETY.com, 9/24). Corben directed "30 for 30" docs like "THE U" and "BROKE" (THE DAILY).
DIRTY LAUNDRY: Actor MICHAEL RAPAPORT is suing Barstool Sports, where he once "hosted a podcast, for firing him -- and then claiming he had herpes." In Rapaport's Manhattan federal court lawsuit, he claims the company "stiffed him out of $375,000." He is "suing for breach on contract and defamation and seeking damages in an amount to be determined by a jury at trial" (NYPOST.com, 9/25). Barstool CEO ERIKA NARDINI tweeted in response to the suit, "Bring it on" (TWITTER.com, 9/25).
NAMES: Lighting Owner JEFF VINIK recently "bought nearly 887,000 shares in Turtle Beach, a San Diego company with a big share of the market for video game headsets" (TAMPABAY.com, 9/24)....Oilers C LEON DRAISAITL will donate $150,000 a year to the Jumpstart program, with a 50% "matching donation by the Oilers Community Foundation to up it to $225,000 a year over the eight years of his contract" (EDMONTONSUN.com, 9/24)....ESPN’s JALEN ROSE is collaborating with The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation to grant $250,000 to the athletic programs of The Jalen Rose Leadership Academy (THE DAILY)....KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR is part of the writing staff for Hulu's revival of the series "VERONICA MARS." The move was revealed by the show's creator, ROB THOMAS (TWITTER.com, 9/24)....Gold Medal-winning U.S. swimmer MISSY FRANKLIN is “engaged to HAYES JOHNSON, a fellow swimmer” (MERCURYNEWS.com, 9/25).
IN MEMORY: Populous Senior Principal JERRY ANDERSON, who served as the coordinating architect of 29 Super Bowls, among other top events over the years, passed away on Sunday (THE DAILY). Anderson was one of the most "kind, disciplined [and] focused" executives in the industry, and sporting events will "never be the same" (TWITTER.com, 9/25).
