Golfer LEXI THOMPSON's management team, Blue Giraffe Sports, issued a statement saying her break from social media "has been taken out of context by various media outlets." The statement said the decision was "not based on a recent event or post, but rather from a culmination of harsh, hurtful, and unwarranted commentary from social media abusers over time." Thompson received backlash after recently playing a round of golf with PRESIDENT TRUMP. Thompson's agent BOBBY KREUSLER said that Thompson decided to break from social media after she logged on, "read some negative comments and hit a breaking point" (GOLFWEEK.com, 5/1).
A lawsuit claims Dolan (r) spends too much time with his blues-inspired rock band, JD & The Straight ShotGETTY IMAGES
COURT REPORT: MSG Exec Chair & CEO JAMES DOLAN is being sued for "spending too much time on stage with his blues-inspired rock band -- and not enough time in the boardroom." The lawsuit, filed in Delaware Chancery Court last month, "claims Dolan is too focused on touring and recording as the frontman and guitarist for his band JD & THE STRAIGHT SHOT." The complaint was "brought by one MSG shareholder under the Norton C. Willcox Testamentary Trust, on behalf of all the shareholders" (N.Y. POST, 5/2)....Former Vikings investor REGGIE FOWLER was "arrested on Tuesday with charges of 'bank fraud and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business." Fowler invested nearly $25M in the AAF during its inaugural season (SI.com, 5/1).
NAMES: Trail Blazers C ENES KANTER's stats for last night's Game 2 win over the Nuggets were "deleted by the NBA Turkey website." Kanter "posted a screen grab of his stats deletion" on Twitter. Kanter tweeted, "What a messed up country lead by #TurkishDictator @RTErdogan Only Turkish player out here tonight, and the official @NBA for Turkey @NBAturkiye is censoring me. They dont show blazers games in Turkey. The government controls people,this a problem. How can official NBA allow this" (NYPOST.com, 5/2)....New Tampa Mayor JANE CASTOR raised $2.1M in political donations, "including almost $200,000" from Lightning Owner JEFF VINIK. Vinik donated $196,000 to Castor's mayoral campaign, making him "far and away" her biggest supporter (TAMPABAY.com, 5/2)....Texans QB DESHAUN WATSON was inducted into the Boys & Girls Club Alumni yesterday at the Marriott Marquis in Houston along with LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (CHRON.com, 5/1)....The Browns as part of the team’s “commitment to social justice” donated $75,000 to EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute (CLEVELAND.com 5/2)....The Reds will name one of the two Cincinnati ballparks it is renovating as part of its 150th anniversary for the late Baseball HOFer FRANK ROBINSON (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/1).
IN MEMORY: JASON BOTCHFORD, a hockey writer for The Athletic in Vancouver, died at the age of 48. Botchford covered the Canucks for the Vancouver Province from ’05-18 and left for The Athletic last year. He also worked in radio for Vancouver-based CKST and made regular appearances on TSN’s “That’s Hockey” (THEPROVINCE.com, 5/1)....Former longtime Philadelphia Daily News auto racing reporter BILL FLEISCHMAN died yesterday at the age of 80. Fleischman covered auto racing “with a passion, contributing stories about NASCAR for 10 years to the Daily news after he retired” in ‘06. He also covered the Flyers ’74 and ’75 Stanley Cup teams and “wrote about other topics and was an assistant sports editor” (FORBES.com, 5/2).
