Italy's FRANCESCO RICCI BITTI was elected President of
the ITF, replacing Australia's BRIAN TOBIN, who "stepped
down." Bitti "beat five other candidates to land the post,"
including ILIE NASTASE, by securing 173 of the 345 votes
cast by delegates (CNNSI.com, 7/11)....ESPN Senior VP/Ad
Sales JEFFREY MAHL "has resigned" to take a job at an online
company. The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Langdon Brockinton
notes that Mahl's "departure comes at a time when there are
strong indications that the ABC sports sales unit and the
ESPN sales department will be consolidated." Also in the
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Josh Gotthelf reports that agent
JOEL BELL has left Advantage Int'l to "start his own
agency." Bell's clients include Sonics G HERSEY HAWKINS and
Heat G VOSHON LENARD, and Gotthelf writes that "it's not
known yet which of Bell's clients will go with him and which
will stay" with Advantage (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/12
issue)....Stride Rite Chair & CEO JAMES ESKRIDGE "abruptly
resigned" last Thursday, "following an apparent clash over
strategy with the Lexington-based footwear company's board
of directors." MYLES SLOSBERG was named interim Chair & CEO
and he will "lead a search team" that will seek a permanent
successor to Eskridge (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/9).
