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LOS ANGELES -- If Donald Sterling is compelled to sell the Los Angeles Clippers, the list of potential buyers has more stars than their roster. 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." Wally Bunker Jersey . Unfortunately for the Cleveland Cavaliers, James Harden was in the building. Baltimore Orioles Store .Cullen scored the go-ahead goal at 13:47 of the third period and Nashville beat the slumping Dallas Stars 3-2 on Thursday in a game that wasnt decided until the last shot of the night. https://www.cheaporioles.com/1328i-luis-...ey-orioles.html. On Sunday, hell attempt to become the youngest driver to win a NASCAR Nationwide race on Iowas short track. The 20-year-old Blaney wont be the only kid pushing a podium finish. Eric Hanhold Jersey . - UFC 178, previously announced for Sept. Austin Wynns Jersey . - Steve Stricker usually doesnt show up at a tournament on Sunday.Daytona Beach, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Casey Grice fired a first-round, 6- under 66 on Wednesday and she holds an early 1-shot lead in the final stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying School. Grice has played in just one LPGA Tournament in her career and that was at the 2013 North Texas LPGA Shootout, where she missed the cut. Grice spent last season on the Symetra Tour and recorded three top-10 finishes without a win. The field was split between two courses at LPGA International. Half of the field played on the Arthur Hills Course, while the other half was on the Rees Jones Course. Ryann OToole, Ju Young Park and Maria Hernandez are all right behind Grice following matching 5-under 67s. OToole was on the Rees Jones Course on Wednesday, while Park and Hernandez played the Arthur Hills Course. Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, is tied for fifth at 4-under 68 along with Elizabeth Nagel. Both Woods and Nagel played on the Rees Jones Course. Grice, starting on the front nine on the Rees Jones Course, kicked off her first round with a birdie at the first, quickly getting her into red numbers. Grice coasted through the next seven holes with seven straight pars before finishing the front nine the same way she started it, with a birdie on nine. Making the turn at minus-2, Grice continued to play well on the back nine. Following a par on 10, Grice drained back-to-back gains on 11 and 12. After a trio of pars from 13, Grice did it again with another pair of birdies on 16 and 17, getting her to 6-under. Grice finished off her bogey-free round with a par at the last to conclude a strong first day. I just hit the ball really well today, Grice said. I tried to pick my targets on each hole and just stay patient, just take each shot as it came and then I made some putts. FFirst probably bogey-free round in competition for sure.dddddddddddd OToole started on the back nine in round one and was quickly under par with a birdie on 10. She rattled off five straight pars before pouring in her second gain on 16. OToole made the turn with six straight pars from 17. She finished up strong and vaulted herself up the leaderboard. OToole made three birdies on the final five holes at five, eight and nine to get within one of the leader Grice. Park also began with a birdie at the first and later added another one at the fifth. Park dropped her first shot with a bogey on No. 6, but she responded two holes later with her third gain of the day on eight. Following a trio of pars from nine, Park made back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 before exchanging a bogey on the 15th with a gain on the 16th. Park finished up her round with her seventh birdie on 18 to grab a share of second place. Hernandez got started with a birdie on the first, but she later gave that shot back with a bogey on seven. She then ripped off three straight birdies from eight to get to minus-3. After five straight pars from 11, Hernandez made another pair of birdies on 16 and 17, putting her at 5-under. Hernandez closed things out with a par at the last to end there. Woods made five birdies in her round on five, seven, 12, 13 and 18 to go along with a bogey at the first. Nagel had four birdies in a five-hole stretch from eight and she added another gain on 18. She also made one bogey on 14. NOTES: The top-20 finishers this week will earn category 12 status on the LPGA Tour priority list, while those finishing between 21 and 45 get category 17 status ... Those who do not earn category 12 or 17 status will still be eligible to compete for a spot on the Symetra Tour priority list. ' ' '