By John Ourand, Staff Writer

Daniels Promoted To Turner Exec VP & COO

Citing a need to have its television and digital platforms work more closely together, Turner Sports President DAVID LEVY has promoted longtime exec LENNY DANIELS to the newly-created position of Exec VP & COO. "There needs to be a lot more synergy between these two businesses,” Levy said. "All of these businesses are merging. We’re trying to maximize our infrastructure." Levy cited Turner’s management of the NBA’s digital assets as an example of what he wants that synergy to look like, with TNT’s on-screen talent and behind-the-scenes staff working on TNT, NBA TV and NBA.com. Levy cited Daniels as one of the reasons NBA’s digital businesses are running so smoothly from Turner’s Atlanta headquarters. A 13-year Turner veteran, Daniels was the point person for the move of the NBA’s digital assets from New Jersey to Atlanta more than a year ago. Levy said Daniels managed the transition period, working on everything from the division’s business models and content strategies to helping with the move. For the last four years, Daniels had been Turner’s Senior VP/Sports Production & New Media. He also will oversee league Web sites NASCAR.com, PGATour.com and PGA.com, as well as broadband channels TNT OverTime (on NBA.com) and TBS Hot Corner (on MLB.com). Daniels will continue to be based in Atlanta. He will manage a team that includes Senior VP & Exec Producer JEFF BEHNKE, NBA Digital Senior VP & Exec Producer BRYAN PEREZ, and Senior VP/Marketing & Programming JENNIFER STORMS.

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The following lists the agents and their agencies/firms who are repping the NFL’s first-round draft picks. Some players are listed with multiple representatives, as client responsibilities may fall to multiple agents.

NO.	TEAM	PLAYER	AGENT
1)	Lions	Matthew Stafford/QB/Georgia	Tom Condon, Ben Dogra/CAA
2)	Rams	Jason Smith/OT/Baylor	Ben Dogra, Michael Lartigue/CAA
3)	Chiefs	Tyson Jackson/DE/LSU	Eugene Parker/Maximum Sports Management
4)	Seahawks	Aaron Curry/LB/Wake Forest	Andy Ross, Michael Sullivan/Octagon
5)	Jets	Mark Sanchez/QB/USC	David Dunn, Nick Sanchez, Andrew Kessler/Athletes First; Theodora Oringher Miller & Richman
6)	Bengals	Andre Smith/OT/Alabama	Rick Smith/Priority Sports & Entertainment
7)	Raiders	Darrius Heyward-Bey/WR/Maryland	Ben Dogra, Tom Condon/CAA
8)	Jaguars	Eugene Monroe/OT/Virginia	Sanat Shah/320 Sports
9)	Packers	B.J. Raji/DT/Boston College	David Dunn, Mark Humenik, Jody Branion, Justin Schulman/Athletes First
10)	49ers	Michael Crabtree/WR/Texas Tech	Eugene Parker/Maximum Sports Management
11)	Bills	Aaron Maybin/DE/Penn State	Chafie Fields, Joel Segal/BEST
12)	Broncos	Knowshon Moreno/RB/Georgia	Tom Condon, Ben Dogra/CAA
13)	Redskins	Brian Orakpo/DE/Texas	Ben Dogra, Michael Lartigue/CAA
14)	Saints	Malcolm Jenkins/CB/Ohio State	Ben Dogra, Tom Condon/CAA
15)	Texans	Brian Cushing/LB/USC	Tom Condon, Ben Dogra/CAA
16)	Chargers	Larry English/DE/Northern Illinois	Todd France/France AllPro Athlete Management
17)	Buccaneers	Josh Freeman/QB/Kansas State	Ken Kremer, Ron Freeman/CAA
18)	Broncos	Robert Ayers/DE/Tennessee	Anthony Agnone, Edward Johnson, Richard Rosa, Noel Lamontagne/Eastern Athletic Services
19)	Eagles	Jeremy Maclin/WR/Missouri	Ben Dogra, Jim Steiner/CAA
20)	Lions	Brandon Pettigrew/TE/Oklahoma State	Sean Howard/Octagon
21)	Browns	Alex Mack/C/California	Marvin Demoff/Morris Yorn Barnes Levine
22)	Vikings	Percy Harvin/WR/Florida	Joel Segal/BEST
23)	Ravens	Michael Oher/OT/Ole Miss	James Sexton/Athletic Resource Management
24)	Falcons	Peria Jerry/DT/Ole Miss	James "Bus" Cook/BC Sports
25)	Dolphins	Vontae Davis/CB/Illinois	Todd France/France AllPro Athlete Management
26)	Packers	Clay Matthews/LB/USC	David Dunn, Mark Humenik, Jody Branion, Justin Schulman/Athletes First
27)	Colts	Donald Brown/RB/Connecticut	Mark Humenik, Justin Schulman, David Dunn, Joby Branion/Athletes First
28)	Bills	Eric Wood/C/Louisville	David Dunn, Mark Humenik, Jody Branion, Justin Schulman/Athletes First
29)	Giants	Hakeem Nicks/WR/North Carolina	Peter Schaffer/All Pro Sports & Entertainment
30)	Titans	Kenny Britt/WR/Rutgers	Todd France/France AllPro Athlete Management
31)	Cardinals	Chris Wells/RB/Ohio State	Adam Heller, Brian Kopp/DeBartolo Sports & Entertainment
32)	Steelers	Evander Hood/DT/Missouri	Andy Ross, Michael Sullivan/Octagon

NOTES: CAA leads the way with nine first-round selections. CAA's BEN DOGRA is involved in the representation of eight first-round picks, marking the sixth-straight draft that Dogra has at least tied for the most first-round picks (THE DAILY). SPORTS AGENT BLOG's Darren Heitner wrote, "Most impressive about the nine CAA draft picks this year is that they were all taken between picks 1-19. Talk about some big commissions!" Heitner: "It must have been interesting to be a member of the CAA crew when it had four of its clients picked in a row" from 12-15 (SPORTSAGENTBLOG.com, 4/26).

MORE TO COME: For the listing of agents repping second-round picks, please see tomorrow’s issue of THE DAILY.

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Warsaw Passes Away At 61

Univ. of Oregon Warsaw Sports Marketing Center Founder JAMES WARSAW passed away Wednesday at the age of 61 from complications from infections, and his funeral was held yesterday at Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach, California, according to Claire Noland of the L.A. TIMES. Warsaw "helped change the perception of sports from games with bats and balls to a business of dollars and cents." Warsaw in '94 donated $250,000 in seed money to launch the Sports Marketing Center, which was the "first endowed sports marketing program in the nation to be associated with the business college of a major U.S. public university." The center "trains sports executives and other industry professionals, offering undergraduate courses as well as being integrated into the master's of business administration program." Warsaw was a "hands-on mentor who offered real-world experience to students." Sports Business Group President and USC-Marshall Sports Business Institute Exec Dir DAVID CARTER said Warsaw was a "trailblazer in this area, knowing and believing that sports was a business and had to be treated as a business, and consequently, we had to educate young people who wanted to be in the business." Carter: "Realizing the need to truly prepare these young people for a career in sports was a major part of his legacy." Noland noted Warsaw and his brother, ROBERT, in '93 sold their family business, Sports Specialties Corp., to Nike for $78M, which "made the academic endeavor possible" (L.A. TIMES, 4/26). In Portland, Kevin Hudson noted Sports Specialties was the "first company to sign a licensing contract with a professional sports team," the Cubs, and the company's "first such licensed product was an ashtray shaped in the likeness of Wrigley Field." The Warsaw family grew Sports Specialties into the "leading licensed sports hat company," and it became the "first official licensee of the NFL, and also was the first to supply official hats to championship locker rooms at events such as the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals and the NCAA Final Four" (OREGONLIVE.com, 4/24).

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Arizona business exec Phillip Kenner, an “unlicensed financial adviser who bills himself as a ‘lifestyle coach,’ scammed several NHL players out of millions of dollars,” according to sources and a lawsuit filed by former NHLer Joe Juneau cited by Thompson & O’Keeffe of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. Juneau has accused Kenner of “failing to provide even basic accounting information regarding the handling” of his finances. A source said that Kenner and his associates “may have defrauded Juneau and other players out of as much as $20[M]” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/26).

DISPUTE RESOLUTION: The GLOBE & MAIL’s Tim Wharnsby reported a “32-month dispute” between Islanders G Rick DiPietro and his former agent, Bobby Orr, “has been resolved.” DiPietro “will fork over $300,000 to the Orr Hockey Group as the result of a settlement between the two sides over a quarrel stemming from” the 15-year, $67.5M contract DiPietro signed in September ’06. DiPietro “had refused to pay the agent’s fee on the grounds he had not signed a standard player agent contract (SPAC) with Paul Krepelka, who works for Orr’s agency.” Krepelka “never disputed that a SPAC was not signed, but felt DiPietro still owed the Orr Hockey Group because he negotiated the contract” (GLOBE & MAIL, 4/25).

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Former Octagon Dir of Strategic Communications KATHY CONNORS has launched KMC Consulting, LLC, which specializes in strategic PR, communications solutions and media management in sports and entertainment (THE DAILY)....Kayak.com named IMG Worldwide CMO ROBERT BIRGE to the same position. Birge will report to Kayak.com co-Founder & CEO STEVE HAFNER and will be based at the company’s HQs in Norwalk, Connecticut (Kayak).....NESN named Weather Channel VP & Creative Dir RICK BOOTH Dir of Creative Services. Booth will be responsible for the on-air broadcast design and visual identity of the RSN (NESN)....The Mark Andrew Group has hired D'RAE WARD to assist in areas of player development, as well as contribute as a graphic designer and Web developer (Mark Andrew Group).

Do you have an executive announcement? If so, please send to editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

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SPIKE LEE's documentary "Kobe: Doin' Work" screened Saturday night as part of the Tribeca Film Festival, but the N.Y. POST's Page Six cites sources as saying that Lakers G KOBE BRYANT demanded "creative control" over the project prior to the filming. Lee had "worked for months to get permission from Bryant, the Lakers team, coach PHIL JACKSON, the NBA and ESPN," and he already had flown to L.A. and 30 cameras were in place for the April 13, 2008, Spurs-Lakers game. A Lee spokesperson said that he "retained creative control and called the story of the dispute 'completely baseless'" (N.Y. POST, 4/27).

Celtics CEO Grousbeck Also Plays In A Cover Band, French Lick

AROUND THE HUB: Celtics Managing Partner & CEO WYC GROUSBECK's cover band, French Lick, played at the "invitation-only opening bash" of Lansdowne Pub in Boston. Red Sox President & CEO LARRY LUCCHINO and his wife, STACEY, Grousbeck's wife CORINNE, Celtics President RICH GOTHAM and his wife, KARA, and Celtics Senior VP/Ticket Sales, Marketing & Service SHAWN SULLIVAN and his wife, ROBYN, were also in attendance (BOSTON HERALD, 4/27)....Patriots Owner BOB KRAFT and LB JEROD MAYO Saturday were celebrity judges at the Boys & Girls Club's Science of Sports program's science fair, which "featured sports-inspired projects by teams of middle schoolers" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/27)....Kraft and his wife, MYRA, along with former NFLer ANDRE TIPPETT, recently gave scholarships to 36 high school students. Meanwhile, Celtics Dir of PR HEATHER WALKER and her husband, STEVE, Friday gave birth to their daughter, SAMANTHA MAE (BOSTON HERALD, 4/26).

CHARITY STRIPE: U.S. Olympic skier and former NFLer JEREMY BLOOM's Wish of a Lifetime foundation, erected last October to "enrich the lives of low-income seniors by fulfilling their heart's desires," thus far has "granted six wishes." Bloom's foundation, which "operates with no office space and has only one paid employee," Thursday night will grant 10 more wishes at a fundraising dinner in Denver. The foundation hopes to raise $200,000-300,000, and Bloom donated the first $25,000 to start the foundation (N.Y. TIMES, 4/26)....Hockey HOFer ROD GILBERT and former NHLer ADAM GRAVES are growing NHL playoff beards to raise money for the Garden of Dreams Foundation (N.Y. POST, 4/26).

FASHION SHOW: The N.Y. TIMES' Alex Williams follows tennis player SERENA WILLIAMS as part of the paper's "A Day Out With" feature. Williams took time to "indulge in a shopping jaunt" in N.Y., accompanied by her personal assistant. Williams was looking for jeans, and "also for inspiration for her new fashion line, Serena Williams Signature Statement." Williams' jewelry and handbags, all priced under $100, will be introduced this month on Home Shopping Network (N.Y. TIMES, 4/26).

Hank Aaron Exhibit Opens At Baseball HOF

NAMES: Titans Owner BUD ADAMS Saturday sat in the team's draft room for the first time since the team moved from Houston in '97. Adams also said that he "plans to fly to a number of Titans' road games with the team" this season, and is becoming "more active since his wife NANCY died in February" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/26)....Baseball HOFer HANK AARON Saturday was in attendance at the HOF for the ribbon-cutting of the “Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream” exhibit. The exhibit features “old baseballs from landmark home runs, including Aaron’s 714th.” There also are “old wooden bats from memorable moments, including his 3,000th career hit” (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/26)....Wake Forest golfer CHEYENNE WOODS, the niece of TIGER WOODS, was profiled on NBC’s “Today” yesterday. Cheyenne Woods: “When I go to tournaments, there’s always some kind of media there following Tiger Woods’ niece. So I’m used to it.” Woods said her goal is to play on the LPGA (“Today,” NBC, 4/26)....Heat G DWYANE WADE and CSMG Sports President HENRY THOMAS, who reps Wade, are “accused in a federal lawsuit of conspiring to either destroy or take over D. Wade’s Place, a restaurant venture that operated in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton.” The establishments “closed weeks after opening last year” (MIAMIHERALD.com, 4/24)....Tennis player ANDY RODDICK and SI swimsuit model BROOKLYN DECKER were spotted celebrating their one-week wedding anniversary with Decker's family in the crowd at a Dave Matthews Band concert in Charlotte on Friday. Roddick wore a T-shirt sporting the name of sponsor Lacoste (THE DAILY). 

BEST WISHES: Charlotte Observer sports columnist TOM SORENSEN yesterday wrote, “I have squamous cell carcinoma. Last week, doctors removed two cancerous lymph nodes, one cancerous tonsil and a mass of cancer along the base of my skull. (A third cancerous lymph node had been removed during a biopsy).” Sorensen had not written a column since The Masters (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/26).

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