Menu
People and Pop Culture

Names In The News

In Rhode Island, Mike Szostak noted former player ANDRE AGASSI and WTA Operations Exec Consultant FERN LEE “PEACHY” KELLMEYER were inducted into the Int'l Tennis HOF on Saturday in front of a crowd of 4,000. Agassi during his acceptance speech “spoke in a measured tone for 19½ minutes” (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 7/10). In Boston, Bud Collins noted Kellmeyer was “an original employee” of the WTA and “remains an exceptional administrator, problem-solver for many years, keeper of their history, guiding light of the WTA” (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/9).

ROYAL BRUNCH: In N.Y., Todd Venezia noted PRINCE WILLIAM and KATE MIDDLETON were scheduled to have brunch this weekend at the Beverly Hills home of NFL Giants Chair & Exec VP STEVE TISCH. No one was invited "without pledging a massive donation to charity first" (N.Y. POST, 7/9).

CUBAN REVOLUTION: Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN “has decided to keep Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures after failing to attract bids for the assets.” Cuban: “We haven’t received any offers. For the right price we would still sell” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/8). Meanwhile, Cuban’s “college days have recently been posted on Deadspin.com, and they’re not safe for work.” Deadspin “emailed Cuban to see if they could post a few” pictures of his rugby years at Indiana Univ. Cuban “wrote back saying he had no idea the photos had been made public.” After “some time to think, Cuban gave the OK.” Cuban: “Did we do stupid (expletive) back then? Absolutely. Even then, we knew it was stupid. We also knew it was harmless” (DALLASNEWS.com, 7/7).

FULL HOUSE: World Series of Poker officials yesterday said that “6,865 players -- 6.2 percent fewer than last year -- entered the no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournament between Thursday and Sunday, generating a $64.5 million total prize pool.” Each entry cost $10,000. WSOP Exec Dir TY STEWART said, “Let’s hope that once and for all, people stop underestimating poker” (AP, 7/10).

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS: In N.Y., Niall Stanage notes golfer RORY MCILROY enjoys a “cross-community appeal” in his native Northern Ireland, among Catholics and Protestants alike, and he “has acquired it without advertising his impartiality in blazing neon.” McIlroy has, “so far, dodged questions of political affiliation with a shoulder-shrugging casualness.” Civil rights activist EAMONN MCCANN said, “It is very, very unusual that someone comes to prominence in Northern Ireland without it being clear from the outset what religion they are” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/11).

CLIMBING INTO THE CAVE: The MLB FanCave was profiled on ABC’s “World News” Saturday night, with ABC’s John Berman saying baseball fans MICHAEL O'HARA and RYAN WAGNER watch all the games from the FanCave. Berman said the FanCave in N.Y. is “one part publicity, one part shrine to the national pastime and one part outreach” to young fans. O'Hara and Wagner “are chatting and posting videos on Facebook and Twitter constantly because face it, kids aren’t cards in the schoolyard anymore.” MLB Exec VP/Business TIM BROSNAN: “Baseball needs to think about the fans of the future” (“World News,” ABC, 7/9).

NAMES: In N.Y., Douglas Quenqua profiled LA LA ANTHONY, wife of Knicks F CARMELO ANTHONY, under the header, “The First Lady Of The NBA.” Since Carmelo joined the Knicks in February, the couple has “been popping up everywhere: ‘The View,’ ‘The Wendy Williams Show,’ the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.” In ’08, the couple “established Krossover Productions.” Quenqua wondered if they are “campaigning to be the next” DAVID and VICTORIA BECKHAM (N.Y. TIMES, 7/10)....Under Armour President, Chair & CEO KEVIN PLANK received a “huge boost in pay after the Baltimore apparel maker topped $1 billion in revenue for the first time.” The “bulk of Plank’s annual compensation last year was $1.28 million in cash incentive tied to performance.” He received $1.3M in total pay, up from $748,061 in ’09 (Baltimore SUN, 7/10).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2011/07/11/People-and-Pop-Culture/Names.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2011/07/11/People-and-Pop-Culture/Names.aspx

CLOSE