Names In The News

Six Flags paid CEO MARK SHAPIRO nearly $4M in salary and stock last year, according to an SEC filing. He received $1.1M in salary, along with 250,000 shares of restricted stock valued at $618,000 and 950,000 stock options valued at $2.3M. But Shapiro, who is in the second year of a three-year contract, did not receive a bonus “after the company failed to meet earnings targets” (WASHINGTON POST, 4/19).

BUTKUS AWARD: Pro Football HOFer DICK BUTKUS is suing the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando “to gain control” of the award given annually in his name to college football’s top linebacker. Butkus’ attorney, ROBERT HELFING, said that his client and club officials “disagree about which charitable organizations should benefit most” from Butkus’ association. Butkus “hopes to raise more money for charities with which he is affiliated” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/19).

PLAY BILL: The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER this week ran two excerpts from Phillies Chair BILL GILES’ new book, “POURING SIX BEERS AT A TIME AND OTHER STORIES FROM A LIFETIME IN BASEBALL.” In one excerpt, Giles writes, “I always like players who were colorful and fun to watch. ... By 1992, [then-GM] LEE THOMAS was able to assemble a group of players with flair, but we finished dead last because many key players got hurt. In 1993, these colorful renegades stayed healthy, won 27 more games than they had in 1992, and took the pennant.” Players that year “gave the team a special persona that the fans and I just loved” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/18). In another excerpt, Giles tells the story of an inexperienced Kiteman, a last-minute replacement for the actual Kiteman, who crashed into the upper deck while attempting the stunt on Opening Day in ’72 (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/17).

NAMES: The CHL Amarillo Gorillas are listed on eBay. SHAUGHN O’GRADY, a member of the ownership group, said that the listing “gave owners a way to advertise nationally their desire to expand the group, reinforce it or, for the right price, change ownership.” The listing notes a new CHL franchise is valued at over $1.25M (AMARILLO GLOBE-NEWS, 4/18)....NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver MIKE SKINNER took CBS News “Sunday Morning” correspondent TRACY SMITH on a ride at Daytona Int’l Speedway for a segment about NASCAR’s appeal to women that will air on May 13 (SCENEDAILY.com, 4/18).