Sports Business Execs Gather For Annual Forty Under 40 Event

By Tripp Mickle, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Robbie Weiss Receives Forty Under 40 Award

Black ties and evening gowns filled Miami's Mandarin Oriental on Friday night to celebrate 40 of sports business' brightest young executives at the Forty Under 40 Awards presented by SportsBusiness Journal/Daily. The awards ceremony was attended by 38 of this year's 40 inductees, who were joined by family and colleagues. Turner Sports sideline reporter Craig Sager and NBA TV's Melanie Collins emceed the event, and Sager kicked things off by reading through a litany of the '09 inductees' "pet peeves." The awards ceremony also marked the 10th anniversary of the event and commemorated a decade of 261 inductees with an opening video highlighting past recipients. Afterward, the '09 Forty Under 40 class was welcomed to the stage. The evening culminated with special recognition of NASCAR VP/Broadcasting & Int'l Managing Dir Robbie Weiss, who had a brain aneurysm on the same day in late January that he learned he'd been selected for the '09 Forty Under 40 class. NASCAR Media Group President Paul Brooks told the story of the aneurysm and Weiss' remarkable recovery, which was followed by a video tribute by Weiss’ friend, Lynn Swann. Weiss then walked on stage to a standing ovation, bringing to an end a special evening for all of those involved. Hall of Fame inductees, who received their third Forty Under 40 award, included the NFL’s Brian Rolapp, Turner Sports' Jennifer Storms, AEG's Dan Beckerman and ESPN's David Berson and David Preschlack.