BILL NORRIS, the former Peter Jacobsen Sports exec, has left the agency to start his own practice in Naples, Fla. Norris spent four years at PJS and helped the firm move beyond its core competency in golf with projects in soccer, running, football, hockey, motorsports and baseball. On the golf side, he also worked closely with Ketel One on its PGA Tour sponsorship. Prior to PJS, Norris spent 11 years at Edelman. His new company will be called Norris Sports Group (Michael Smith, SportsBusiness Journal).
AUCTION BLOCK: In DC, Cindy Boren noted JULIUS ERVING’s championship rings and MVP trophies are “among pieces from his collection of basketball memorabilia that will be sold at auction Friday, but the Hall of Famer denies the sale is connected to a lawsuit filed against him by a bank in Atlanta.” Erving is “selling 144 items” in the auction, including his ‘83 NBA championship ring he won with the 76ers. Erving: “My family is 100 percent behind it. We decided to do it a long time ago. To claim it’s a firesale or to clear up some debt, I don’t think so” (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 10/27).
NAMES: Tennis player MARAT SAFIN Thursday said that he “wants to put his oratory to use in the Russian parliament.” He is “up for election to the State Duma on Dec. 4 and could join other Russian sports stars, including gold medalist SVETLANA KHORKINA in the lower house of parliament” (AP, 10/27)....Rich Products Corp. Chair BOB RICH has released “THE RIGHT ANGLE -- TALES FROM A SPORTING LIFE.” The book talks about several key moments in Buffalo sports history, including the deal to rename the Bills’ home venue Rich Stadium and the creation of the Sabres (THE DAILY)....Cubs President of Baseball Operations THEO EPSTEIN and Cubs Chair TOM RICKETTS Thursday watched Game Six of the World Series at Chicago’s The Fifty/50. Epstein's table “drank Coronas and ordered the corn fried calamari, poutine, skirt steak sandwich and meatball sub” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/28)….NFL Jets MARK SANCHEZ and NBA Kings co-Owner GEORGE MALOOF were seen dining together in Las Vegas at the N9NE Steakhouse in the Palms (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/28).
