The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Robin Sidel reports Dolphins Owner and Related Cos. CEO STEPHEN ROSS and his partners “spent more than a year digging into U.S. banks including more than 100 with loans to local bakeries, gas stations and amusement parks” hoping to spend around $1.1B “buying or investing in lenders.” The “deeper they went, the worse things looked.” As a result, Related Cos. "gave back the money it raised from roughly 150 investors." Ross “now believes it could take the U.S. banking industry another three years to get back on its feet” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/29).
IN A GIVING MOOD? In Phoenix, Craig Harris notes public records show there is “little charitable giving by the non-profits” that run college bowl games, including “the four big games that host the sport’s championship or the many other post season bowls.” At the Fiesta, Orange, Rose and Sugar bowls, “charitable giving has amounted for roughly 2 percent of all revenue generated” since the BCS began. Records show that “the most generous giving” was by the Orange Bowl, “which through 2009-2010 had donated $7.9 million to charity since the BCS era started, the lion’s share of that in 2008-2009 to restore a Miami park” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/29).
YOUTH OF THE NATION: In Charlotte, Mark Price reported that the city has become the first to “host a grand-scale Motorsports Career Day -- one supported by NASCAR, developed and sponsored by Bank of America, and coordinated with schools.” The event was held yesterday at the NASCAR HOF and “500 students from 12 area high schools” listened “to industry personnel, including NASCAR driver KASEY KAHNE and Charlotte Motor Speedway President MARCUS SMITH.” Students were able to explore “careers ranging from motorsports sponsorships to driver management” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/28).
BOOK CLUB: "SWEETNESS: THE ENIGMATIC LIFE OF WALTER PAYTON," a biography of the Pro Football HOFer, is scheduled to be released next week. The book “paints a startling picture of the career and post-retirement days of the NFL's one-time leading rusher and one of the game’s all-time greats.” Author JEFF PEARLMAN lays out a "portrait that is at times poignant and heart-wrenching and at other times unflattering and salacious" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/29).
HELPING HANDS: The Eagles, Grizzlies, Manchester United and Liverpool are finalists for the Beyond Sport United Award for Sport Team of the Year for their community efforts. Beyond Sport is a worldwide organization “that uses sport to promote social change.” The Beyond Sport Summit and Awards will take place in Cape Town, South Africa from Dec. 5 to 8 (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 9/28).
NAMES: Georgia State Univ. AD CHERYL LEVICK was profield by the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION's Doug Roberson, who notes she is "very organized." During a Q&A, Roberson noted Levick "used a wipeboard to help with some of her answers so that I could clearly understand some of her points." Roberson: "She’s also very thoughtful, often thinking about her answers before she speaks” (AJC.com, 9/28)....Former UFC fighter CHRIS LYTLE is running for a seat in the Indiana state Senate, and he has already stated campaigning using the tagline, “Fighting for Indiana’s Future” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/28).... Former tennis player JIM COURIER yesterday was “hitting tennis balls in the parking lot at the Staples” in Brighton, Mass., to promote the Tenacity tennis program and this weekend’s Champions Cup at the TD Garden (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/28)….Dodgers co-Owner JAMIE MCCOURT sold her 8,400 square-foot Holmby Hills house last month for $6.525M (L.A. TIMES, 9/29)….PATTIE PETTY, wife of former NASCAR driver KYLE PETTY, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and is receiving treatment (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/29)….NASCAR driver MATT KENSETH’s wife, KATIE, was “injured Monday evening in a crash at Charlotte Motor Speedway, during practice for a race next month featuring spouses and girlfriends of drivers.” She was carried from the track on a stretcher and treated at a hospital (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/28).
