6C ❚ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020 ❚ USA TODAY SPORTS
NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICE
IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO, wESTERN DIISION
In re:
I
I
, ,et al.,^1
ebtors.)
)
)
)hapter 11
aseo.20-10390 (J
)
Judge John. offman,Jr.
(Jointlydministered)
NOTICE OF AUCTION FOR THE SALE OF THE DEBTORS’ ASSETS
PLEASE TAKE NOTICEthatonarch12,2020,thenitedtatesBankruptcy ourtfortheouthernistrict
of hio (the“ ourt”) entered theOrder (I) Authorizing the Entry Into and Performance Under the Stalking Horse
Purchase Agreement, (II) Approving Bidding Procedures for the Sale of Assets, (III) Scheduling Hearings and
Objection Deadlines with Respect to the Sale (IV) Scheduling Bid Deadlines and an Auction, (V) Approving the
Form and Manner of Notice Thereof, (VI) Approving Contract Assumption and Assignment Procedures, and (VII)
Granting Related Relief[ocketo.245] (the“Bidding Procedures rder”),^2 authorizing the above-captioned
debtors and debtors in possession (collectively,the“ebtors”) to conduct an auction (the“uction”) to select
thepartyorpartiestopurchasetheassetsofurrayapleagle oal, .heuctionwillbegovernedbythe
bidding procedures approved pursuant to the Bidding Procedures rder (attached to the Bidding Procedures
rderasxhibit1,the“BiddingProcedures”).
opies of the Bidding Procedures rder, the Bidding Procedures, or other documents related thereto
are available upon request to Prime lerk by calling (877) 427-7610 (nitedtates and anada) and (917)
962-8958 (International) or visiting theebtors’ restructuring website at https://cases.primeclerk.com/
urray.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICEthattheBideadlineisMarch 20, 2020,at4:00p.m.(prevailingastern
ime),and that any person or entity who wishes to participate in theuction must comply with the participa-
tionrequirements,bidrequirements,andotherrequirementssetforthintheBiddingProcedures.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICEthat theebtors intend to conduct theuction,at which they will con-
sider proposals submitted to theebtors and their professionals,by and pursuant to the Bidding Procedures
as set forth in the Bidding Procedures rder,onMarch 24, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. (prevailing Eastern Time),
at the offices of Proskauerose P,levenimesquare,ework,ework 10036, or at such other venue
(or by such other medium) as may be agreed to by theebtors and onsultation Parties including thenited
tatesrustee.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICEthatApril 2, 2020, at 10:00 a.m.(prevailingasternime) or as soon
thereafter as theebtors may be heard,shall be the date and time for the hearing at which the ourt will con-
siderapprovalofthesale(the“ale earing”).
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICEthat theebtors reserve the right to modify the Bidding Procedures,in
theirreasonablebusinessjudgmentinaccordancewiththeBiddingProcedures.
ated:arch 18,2020, olumbus, hio
/s/Thomas R. Allen,homas.llen (0017513),ichard K.tovall (0029978),James. outinho (0082430),
atthew. Zofchak (0096279),Allen Stovall Neuman Fisher & Ashton, 17 outh ightreet,uite
1220, olumbus, hio 43215,elephone:(614) 221-8500,Facsimile:(614) 221-5988,mail:[email protected],
[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],Proposed Counsel to the Debtors and Debtors in
Possession-and-avid. illman (admittedpro hac vice),imothy Q.Karcher (admittedpro hac vice), hris
heodoridis (admittedpro hac vice),PROSKAUER ROSE LLP,levenimesquare,ework,ework 10036,
elephone:(212) 969-3000,Facsimile:(212) 969-2900,mail:[email protected],tkarcher@proskauer.
com, [email protected] -and- harles.ale (admittedpro hac vice),PROSKAUER ROSE LLP,
ne International Place,Boston,assachusetts 02110,elephone:(617) 526-9600,Facsimile:(617) 526-9899,
mail:[email protected],Proposed Counsel to the Debtors and Debtors in Possession(^1) heebtors in these hapter 11 cases,along with the last four (4) digits of eachebtor’s federal tax iden-
tification number,if applicable,are:urrayetallurgical oal oldings, (4633);urrayagleining,
(4268);urraylabamainerals, (4047);urraylabama oal, (3838);urrayapleagle oal,
(4435);andurray ak rove oal, (4878).heebtors’primary business address is 46226ationaload,
2 t. lairsville, 43950.
apitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the
BiddingProcedures rderortheBiddingProcedures,asapplicable.
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Shamed by players and
chastened by outraged spon-
sors, U.S. Soccer has dropped
the sexist and demeaning
stereotypes it had used to make
its case in a gender discrimina-
tion lawsuit filed by the U.S.
women.
U.S. Soccer’s response to a
request for summary judg-
ment, filed late Monday eve-
ning, no longer includes the
claim that it is “indisputable
‘science’ ” that the women
lacked the “skill” of male play-
ers.
The assertion that the wom-
en don’t face the same respon-
sibilities as the U.S. men is also
gone.
Instead, it reverts to a previ-
ous argument that the U.S.
women receive more in total
compensation than the U.S.
men.
“Last week’s legal filing was
an error. It resulted from a fun-
damental breakdown in our in-
ternal process that led to offen-
sive assertions made by the
Federation that do not repre-
sent our core values,” new U.S.
Soccer president Cindy Parlow
Cone said in a statement.
“It is our obligation to move
quickly to repair the damage
that has been done,” added
Parlow Cone, a member of the
U.S. women’s team that won
the 1999 World Cup. “I am com-
mitted to addressing this issue
in an honest, transparent and
forthright manner.”
Parlow Cone’s predecessor,
Carlos Cordeiro, resigned
Thursday night, bowing to the
growing chorus of criticism
that followed the misogynistic
and demeaning arguments U.S.
Soccer had put forward in an-
other legal brief.
The U.S. women staged a
protest before a match against
Japan, turning their warm-up
jerseys inside out so the four
stars, which represent their
World Cup titles, could be seen
but the U.S. Soccer crest could
not.
Volkswagen, a major federa-
tion sponsor, said it was “dis-
gusted” by the position the
federation had taken, while Co-
ca-Cola called U.S. Soccer’s
claims “unacceptable and of-
fensive.”
“We are going to do a com-
prehensive review of our inter-
nal process to better under-
stand how this breakdown oc-
curred and how it can be avoid-
ed in the future. I expect that
review to be completed short-
ly,” Parlow Cone said.
But U.S. Soccer’s claims of
being taken by surprise by the
sexism and stereotypes in its
previous filing are at odds
with the facts. Its lawyers had
made it clear during deposi-
tions last year that U.S. Soc-
cer’s defense was going to be
rooted in misogyny and con-
descension.
Carli Lloyd and Alex Mor-
gan were both asked about
losing to teenage boys, the in-
sinuation being that the U.S.
women are only good for
female players. Kelley O’Hara
was asked to explain why the
women’s World Cup doesn’t
generate the same attention
and revenue as the men’s
tournament.
U.S. Soccer’s latest argu-
ment, that the women agreed
to a structure that gives them
more guaranteed compensa-
tion, has already been reject-
ed by the court, said Molly
Levinson, spokeswoman for
the U.S. women.
If the U.S. women did earn
more, Levinson said, it’s be-
cause they played more
games and won them.
“What equality requires is
the same opportunity to earn
as much as the men. This op-
portunity has been repeatedly
denied,” Levinson said.
“These are times for unity,
not division. USSF should
stop trying to change the con-
versation and just change.
Pay women players equally.”
Chastened by sponsors,
US Soccer changes course
Nancy Armour
USA TODAY
PEORIA, Ariz. – Padres out-
fielder Tommy Pham sits on a
bar stool in his kitchen. Two
black bags and a box are on the
dining room table. A large black
suitcase on the living room
floor. A package of Solo Cups,
sunflower seeds and packs of
gum strewn on the kitchen
countertop. Inside the garage,
the entire back of his Cadillac
Escalade EXT is filled with box-
es and bags of shoes.
It’s moving day.
A week earlier than planned.
He’s talking when his phone
buzzes with an email, the latest
update from the players union.
He reads it, puts down his
phone and softly says, “This is
a mess. A huge mess.”
He stares ahead, slowly
shakes his head, closes his eyes
and raises his voice for empha-
sis: “A (expletive)-up mess!”
Pham, who celebrated his
32nd birthday a week ago and
is on the brink of being serious-
ly paid with two years left be-
fore free agency, recoils at how
his life, and everyone’s in the
sports world, dramatically
changed in a matter of days.
He’s getting ready for the
season one day, the NBA is shut
down the next, then the entire
sports world, including MLB.
Now, everything is coming to a
standstill, with California join-
ing others states in a virtual
lockdown, with restaurants
and bars closing and people or-
dered to stay confined at home.
“When I was doing my own
research and reading about the
coronavirus, I thought it was
minuscule compared to the flu,
hepatitis, cancer and other
things killing hundreds of
thousands of people,” Pham
told USA TODAY Sports in a
two-hour interview Monday. “I
didn’t think it was going to wipe
us out like this. This has affect-
ed everyone.”
And turned the world upside
down.
Pham, the Padres’ prized ac-
quisition in an offseason trade
with the Rays, was planning to
stay in Peoria along with his
teammates as long as base-
signed a one-year, $7.9 million
contract – a loaded $300,000
black Bentley coupe. He fig-
ured he’d live in luxury in San
Diego, too, renting a pent-
house with spectacular views.
“I don’t know if any of us
will get paid,” Pham said.
“But you look around, I got
friends in the NHL, they’re
getting paid. The guys in the
NBA are getting paid. How’s it
going to look if we’re the only
major sport, and the richest
sport bringing in the most rev-
enue ($10.7 billion last year),
and we’re the only ones not
getting paid?”
Pham, who says he lost
$92,000 in the stock market
on Monday, was planning to
use this year’s salary to save
money in the event of a strike
next season. The labor agree-
ment expires on Dec. 1, 2021.
And this is a critical season for
him with one more year of sal-
ary arbitration and free agen-
cy around the corner.
“I don’t know if scared is
the right word, but there’s a
lot of nervousness. I know I
can’t afford to miss an entire
season.”
Pham isn’t asking for any-
one to feel sorry for him or for
any of his peers who are es-
tablished major league play-
ers. You want to have pity?
Look at the thousands of mi-
nor leaguers and wonder how
they’ll financially survive.
They haven’t been paid since
August. They won’t be paid
again until they start playing.
How many will give up their
dreams of playing baseball
and get a real job?
Perhaps during this time,
he says, the union and MLB
can start negotiating a collec-
tive bargaining agreement.
“This already feels like a
work stoppage,” Pham says,
“we don’t want the real one.
The fans sure don’t want to
see it because two sides can’t
come to an agreement. I think
the fans will look at other
sports, compare the state of
those sports to ours, and with
baseball generating the most
revenue, wonder how can we
not come to an agreement?
“We’ve got to figure this
whole thing out and save
baseball.
“Might as well start now.”
Pham frustrated while
MLB, players in limbo
Bob Nightengale
Columnist
USA TODAY
ball’s shutdown continued. He
still had hopes of everyone
staying together when he
pulled into the Peoria Stadium
complex Monday for a manda-
tory noon meeting. He listened
to the Padres’ front office mem-
bers and coaching staff. They
were recommending that ev-
eryone go home. The complex
wasn’t closing but there would
be no organized workouts.
Nothing even informal.
“It was a gut punch,” Pham
says. “Just so damn frustrating.
This is the time of year when
everybody is ready to break
camp and go play, and then you
get news like that. I didn’t put
all of the work I did in the off-
season to be sitting around
right now.”
Commissioner Rob Manfred
announced Monday that MLB
would be delayed further than
April 9. He offered no timetable,
instead following the Centers
for Disease Control and Pre-
vention’s recommendation to
restrict events of more than 50
people for the next eight weeks.
“This ain’t good, man,” Pham
says. “The vibe we’re getting
here is June, maybe July. If we
follow the guidelines, who
knows, August may be realistic.
I know the owners will want to
have full stadiums when they
open up to make up for the lost
revenue.
“I just want to play baseball.
That’s what all of us want.
That’s what people are forget-
ting, is just how much we love
to play this game.”
It was just this winter he
splurged and bought himself a
luxurious present when he
Outfielder Tommy Pham was
traded by the Rays to the
Padres this offseason.
ELAINE THOMPSON/AP
PONTE VEDRA BEACH,
Fla. – Up the street from PGA
Tour headquarters, play re-
sumed Tuesday on the Stadi-
um Course at TPC Sawgrass.
Five days ago, the Stadium
Course fell silent as The Play-
ers Championship – the
Tour’s flagship event – was
canceled and the season put
on hold amid the global coro-
navirus pandemic.
But the Stadium and the
adjoining Dye Valley Course
at TPC Sawgrass reopened to
members, guests and the
public under bright skies and
warm temperatures. While it
looked like business as usual
- the tee sheet was full, the
driving range crowded, play-
ers dunking tee shots into the
water at the famous par-3
17th, caddies and golf carts at
the ready – it wasn’t your nor-
mal reopening.
Guided by recommenda-
tions from the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention
and local and state health offi-
cials, TPC Sawgrass enacted a
lengthy laundry list of proto-
cols. From the pro shop to the
bars and restaurants in the
clubhouse, from the practice
range to the first tee, from the
PGA Tour Performance Center
at TPC Sawgrass to the locker
room, measures were taken to
minimize the potential spread
of the virus.
Among them: recommen-
dations to leave the flagstick
in, don’t pick up playing part-
ners’ clubs, keep a safe dis-
tance and, despite this being a
gentleman’s game, pass on
the traditional handshake.
There was limited seating in
dining areas, staff members
were told to not shake hands
and cleaning procedures were
heightened, including extra
cleaning of golf carts, door han-
dles, counters, keyboards and
push carts. Credit card signa-
tures were not required and
there was a limit of one player
per cart.
“It was a great time. It’s a
great course. I’m not too wor-
ried about the virus. If I get it, I
get it. You just have to be safe
and keep playing the game,”
said Gary Tucker of Denver,
whose brother lives on the 10th
tee of the Dye Valley Course.
Tucker flew in last week for The
Players. And he dunked a ball
into the water on the 17th.
Tom Hollingsworth of
southeast Florida said it was
good to be outside. “We’re not
doing the normal things like
shaking hands. We kept our
distance. We’re not high-fiving.
We’re fist bumping and air
bumping. You just have to be
cautious. I wasn’t at much of a
risk,” said Hollingsworth, who
made a 3 at the 17th. The course
is in impeccable shape. The
rough was tough and sticky so
you don’t want to get into that.
It was what you expected a few
days after The Players.”
Derek Sprague, general
manager of TPC Sawgrass, said
there is a new norm during
these turbulent times and ad-
aptation is required. It helps
that the two courses are spread
out over 675 acres.
“This sport is outdoors, in
the sunshine, there is ample
space, plenty of room to prac-
tice social distancing,” he said.
“People can only stay in their
homes for so long. On the golf
course, they can feel safe. It’s a
great outlet for people to get
some normalcy in their life dur-
ing these stressful times.”A general view of the fifth hole during Thursday’s round of The
Players Championship. ADAM HAGY/USA TODAY SPORTSRegulars hit
Players’ course
Steve DiMeglio
Golfweek | USA TODAY Network