Monument Park plaque as part of festivities

LOS ANGELES -- If Donald Sterling is compelled to sell the Los Angeles Clippers, the list of potential buyers has more stars than their roster. Nike Air Max 95 Herr Rea . Oprah Winfrey is contemplating a bid. Sean Combs is a Knicks fan, but he wants in. Floyd Mayweather Jr. wants the whole team. Matt Damon wants a tiny piece. Billionaires, entertainers and athletes alike announced their intentions to pursue the Clippers with varying degrees of seriousness Wednesday, proving the longtime losers will be quite a prize if the NBA is able to wrest control of the team away from Sterling after his lifetime ban for racist remarks. Winfrey led the list, and the media mogul is already bringing in her friends. "Oprah Winfrey is in discussions with David Geffen and Larry Ellison to make a bid for the Los Angeles Clippers should the team become available," spokesperson Nicole Nichols confirmed in an email. If Winfrey joins Geffen, the billionaire entertainment executive, and Oracle CEO Ellison to pool their vast resources for a bid, they could be among the top contenders for a franchise that would be among the most valuable sports properties to hit the market since the Los Angeles Dodgers $2 billion sale in 2012 to the Guggenheim Partners group fronted by Magic Johnson, the Lakers great and another potential Clippers bidder. The Clippers spent the last three decades rotting in the shadow of the glamorous Lakers, who piled up championships while the lowly Clips only racked up losses. With Sterlings ouster, the Clippers suddenly became the most attractive team in town to wealthy fans lining up for an unlikely chance to seize control of a Hollywood sports franchise on the move. David Carter, the executive director of USCs Sports Business Institute, identifies multiple factors contributing to the Clippers extraordinary value. "Interest in the team results from the combination of NBA teams being rare assets that are seldom available for purchase, the location of this particular team, and potential owners belief that revenue streams linked to rehabbing the brand and participating in future revenue linked to a new TV deal all make the team very attractive to prospective buyers," Carter said. For a day, almost everybody seemed interested in being those buyers -- and even entertainers without those limitless resources were clamouring for the chance. Combs, Rick Ross and Snoop Dogg all aired their interest, as did longtime Clippers fan Frankie Muniz and Damon, who told CNBC hed like to be a "super tiny minority investor." Fans also got in on the frenzy, opening campaigns on Kickstarter and Crowdtilt to pool their resources for the club. Mayweather spoke seriously about his interest while preparing for his fight with Marcos Maidana this Saturday, although Money May would have to curb his enthusiastic sports gambling habit. Oscar De La Hoya, the majority shareholder in Golden Boy Promotions whose statue sits outside Staples Center, volunteered himself as a part-owner. "The league has made it known that it wants more minorities involved, and as a proud Mexican-American, I will bring a different perspective to the NBA in general, and the Clippers in particular," De La Hoya said. "I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I know what it takes to run a successful sports entity." A vocal segment of the NBAs social media following immediately started a campaign to move the Clippers to Seattle, a basketball-loving city that has been without a team since Clay Bennett moved the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008. But much of the Clippers value results from their location in the nations second-largest city and their opportunity to sign a lucrative new television rights deal in 2016. The Clippers association with Sterlings racist remarks could have been crushing to their prestige and value, but they dont seem to be a problem if Sterling is no longer associated with the club. "The short term damage has been dramatic, but Commissioner (Adam) Silver provided a tourniquet that has stopped the brand erosion," Carter said. "The NBA, working in conjunction with new ownership, will have an extraordinary opportunity to rehabilitate the teams reputation, and then extend its brand." The Clippers havent been known for success during most of their existence, but thats changing. And whats more, the Clippers are cool. Led by point guard Chris Paul and high-flying forward Blake Griffin -- two All-Stars signed to long-term contracts -- the Clippers have won two straight Pacific Division titles and are on the brink of their third playoff series victory since Sterling bought the team in 1981. The Clippers have captured the imagination of Los Angeles counterculture, the transplants and contrarian fans who arent interested in the Lakers bandwagon. Theyre also attracting more of an international following with each highlight-reel performance by Paul and dunking virtuosos DeAndre Jordan and Griffin, who coined the phrase "Lob City" to describe their daredevil style of play. And it doesnt hurt that the Lakers just finished their worst season in more than 50 years, missing the playoffs for just the third time in 38 seasons. The Lakers appear to be years away from title contention, while the Clippers are built to contend every year in the near future. "Were proud of this team," Clippers guard Jamal Crawford said. "Were proud of our city, and we want to make them proud of us." Nike Air Max Tn Sverige . On paper, it looks a little like Andre the Giant taking on a midget wrestler. It has all the makings of a rout with the Americans adding an eighth win in nine outings of this biennial event. The Yanks have eight players in the top 15 in the world while the Internationals have just one. Nike Air Max 1 Sverige . And yet as they left TD Garden amid the slush and snow of a winter storm on Thursday evening, there was a sense among the Leafs that they had finally stood toe to toe with their long-time bully, only to fall just short. http://www.reaairmaxsverige.com/air-max-90-rabatt/max-90-herr.html . "Im excited just for a new start, just to see where things are going, to bring some kind of tradition back to the team and guys being excited about something new," the defensive back said during a conference call Monday after agreeing to stay with the Bombers rather than go to free agency next month. NEW YORK -- J.J. Hardy finally got in on the fun Saturday, against a likely opponent. Nelson Cruz has been hitting homers all season. Cruz hit his 23rd home run, Hardy connected for his first of the year and the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 6-1 after starter Bud Norris left with tightness in his right groin. Adam Jones and Steve Pearce also went deep off struggling soft-tosser Vidal Nuno, helping the Orioles rebound after blowing a two-run lead in the ninth inning of a 5-3 loss Friday night. "Big win for us," Hardy said. Cruz and Pearce each had a two-run shot. Hardy ended a drought of 339 at-bats that dated to last September. "It definitely felt nice," he said. "I felt like I forgot how to do it." "I think it probably is a little bit of a relief. I started to question myself if I ever was going to hit one again," Hardy added. Mark Teixeira hit his 12th home run for the Yankees, who had won four straight and eight of 10, but that was all they managed against Norris and three relievers. During a pregame ceremony on the field, former New York first baseman Tino Martinez was honoured with a plaque to be placed in Monument Park. Making his first start against the Yankees, Norris (7-5) allowed three hits in five innings and matched a career high by winning his fourth straight start. He warmed up on the mound for the sixth but was pulled for Ryan Webb, who pitched two scoreless innings. Tommy Hunter got the final five outs. Norris said he felt something "kind of funny" while throwing a fastball in the fifth. "It kind of grabbed on me," he said. "Ive had groin stuff before, especially my left one but not necessarily my right one. Youve got to be real careful with those." "I could see it getting a little worse and I wanted to be smart, but really, hats off to the offence for scoring and to the bullpen for picking me up," Norris added. "Pretty sore right now." Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Norris probably will pitch the night game of a split doubleheader Friday against Tampa Bay, but the right-hander said it was too soon to tell. "Weve got other options, but Im hoping we caught it in time," Showalter said. Pressed into the rotation because of injuries to CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda, Nuno (1-4) is having a hhard time with the homer-friendly dimensions at Yankee Stadium. Nike Air Max 97 Billigt. He was rocked in his previous outing in Oakland and is 0-4 since beating the Los Angeles Angels on May 7. "This is what we have. And as I said, its not like theres just starting pitchers lying around out there," New York manager Joe Girardi said, explaining that Nuno will stay in the rotation. "Right now, this is what it is." The left-hander yielded five runs -- four earned -- and six hits in 6 1-3 innings. He allowed three home runs and has served up 13 in 39 1-3 innings this season at home, where he is 0-3 with a 7.09 ERA. "My fastball today, I just left it up too much," Nuno said. "I trusted all my stuff today. No regrets and everything, but they just got to my fastball." Jones hit a solo shot with two outs in the first and drew a leadoff walk in the fourth before Cruz connected. Cruz began the day one home run behind Toronto slugger Edwin Encarnacion for the major league lead. "Hes carried us along a lot of the season," Hardy said. Pearces drive made it 5-1 in the fifth, and Hardy went deep off Jose Ramirez in the eighth for his 159th career homer and first since Sept. 5, 2013, against Jose Quintana of the Chicago White Sox. "We like hitting home runs," Jones said. Back in the dugout, Hardy got the silent treatment. He threw sunflower seeds on himself and was doused with water by Cruz. The two-time All-Star shortstop has hit at least 22 home runs five times, including a career-high 30 with Baltimore in 2011. "Normally I just put my head down and run. This time I kind of watched a little bit to make sure that it got up," Hardy said. "As I was rounding third, I looked into the dugout and no one had moved. So I kind of knew that they were going to sit there." NOTES: Baltimore recalled reliever Brad Brach from Triple-A Norfolk. ... Nuno has allowed 15 homers in 67 1-3 innings overall. ... Pineda (right shoulder muscle) will get another week off after an MRI still showed "a trace of inflammation," Girardi said. ... RHP Masahiro Tanaka (11-1, 1.99 ERA) starts Sundays series finale against Orioles RHP Chris Tillman (5-4, 4.82). Hall of Fame reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage will be honoured with a Monument Park plaque as part of festivities for the 68th annual Old-Timers Day at Yankee Stadium. ' ' '