Names In The News

In Buffalo, Matt Glynn profiled Delaware North, which is "well-known for providing concessions" at arenas, but also "reaches into everything from concessions at airports to providing services in national parks and attractions like the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida and to gaming operations." Delaware North Sportservice President RICK ABRAMSON discussed prices charged at sporting events, saying that there is "more than meets the eye, with expenses that must be covered." He noted that "some money from concessions sales gets taken off the top and goes to a stadium authority or a team." Abramson: "When (customers) fully understand it, they realize it's not too high." Delaware North President & COO CHARLES MORAN JR. said, "We are trying to grow all of our subsidiaries right now. I don't think we look to get one bigger than the other. We've gone through a nice run of business in Sportservice where we've picked up a number of great new accounts over the past two years" (BUFFALO NEWS, 1/16).

LATE SUBSTITUTION: The NFL, at the "urging" of the Bears, yesterday "bumped 'American Idol' winner LEE DEWYZE from his scheduled spot as the national anthem singer" ahead of Sunday's Packers-Bears NFC Championship. Instead, "fan favorite" JIM CORNELISON, "who regularly sings 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at Chicago Blackhawks games, will take center stage before the game." The Bears are "working with DeWyze to perform at halftime, but nothing had been finalized as of Tuesday evening" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/19).

PROUD PAPA: TED TURNER will appear on Sportsman Channel this summer "as part of his son BEAU's first TV series." The network is "scheduled to bow the weekly show 'BEAU KNOWS OUTDOORS' in July." Beau Turner will focus "not only on hunting and fishing, but land conservation and management issues that arise as he oversees Turner Enterprises' more than 2 million acres around the country." Ted Turner "will be featured in one of the installments mid-way through the cycle with the cable legend talking about quail conservation" (MULTICHANNEL.com, 1/17).

NAMES: The Professional Football Writers of America selected Chiefs GM SCOTT PIOLI as NFL Exec of the Year (K.C. STAR, 1/19)....The L.A. Sports Council will present AEG President & CEO TIM LEIWEKE with the '10 Sports Exec of the Year award during the sixth annual L.A. Sports Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Feb. 24 (LASC)....Golf Digest Chair & Editor-in-Chief JERRY TARDE will receive the '11 PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism April 6 at the 39th Golf Writers Association of America Annual Spring Dinner & Awards ceremony in Augusta, Ga. (PGA)....Yankees CF CURTIS GRANDERSON will arrive in New Zealand tomorrow to promote baseball. Granderson, who will remain in New Zealand through Jan. 28, "will conduct clinics and make appearances, including one at a big youth tournament" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/19)....Patriots players are now members of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. Rhode Island AFL-CIO President GEORGE NEE said that the players "have always been affiliated with the national AFL-CIO." But he noted the NFLPA recently "decided that it would be advantageous to affiliate with the state and local federations" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 1/19).

IN MEMORY: ATP co-Founder JIM MCMANUS has passed away at the age of 70 following a battle with cancer. McManus was a member of the original ATP BOD in '72, and he served as an employee of the tour for 28 years (AP, 1/18).