In Austin, Vicky Garza reported John Paul Mitchell Systems co-Founder JOHN PAUL DEJORIA has "signed on as the newest investor in Circuit of the Americas." The amount he is investing "was not disclosed." DeJoria is also a "key investor in The Patron Spirits Company, maker of high-end tequila, which is the title sponsor for the American Le Mans racing series" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/10).
COACH'S CORNER: In Hartford, Kenneth Gosselin reported Univ. of Connecticut women's basketball coach GENO AURIEMMA will "open a restaurant in the first phase" of the Storrs Center development, which is "expected to be completed in late summer." The 3,000-square-foot restaurant is "expected to seat over" 100 patrons inside and another 50-70 on an outside terrace. Auriemma and his partners are "tentatively calling the Storrs Center restaurant 'Geno's Grille'" (COURANTBLOGS.com, 4/10).
FIRST LINE: Hockey Canada's selection committee yesterday picked JEAN BELIVEAU, CASSIE CAMPBELL-PASCALL, GORDIE HOWE, WAYNE GRETZKY and GORDON RENWICK as its inaugural class for the Order of Hockey in Canada. The five will be "formally inducted with a ring, a specially-designed award and lapel insignia" on June 25 at the Hockey Canada Foundation gala in Toronto (GLOBE & MAIL, 4/11).
NAMES: Bulls F KYLE KORVER placed his 16-room home in Glencoe, Ill., on the market last month for $1.499M (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/11)....Angels 1B ALBERT PUJOLS currently has “no plans for selling his Wildwood residence while intending to continue the Pujols Family Foundation’s work in the St. Louis area.” The family had recently listed the property, but the listing “does not include the family residence” (STLTODAY.com, 4/10)….Cowboys QB TONY ROMO and wife CANDICE CRAWFORD had their first son, HAWKINS CRAWFORD ROMO on Monday (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/10)....TNT basketball analyst SHAQUILLE O’NEAL will co-star in the sequel to ADAM SANDLER’s film, “GROWN UPS” (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/11)….The U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs named U.S. Olympic Gold Medal-winning figure skater EVAN LYSACEK as a Sports Envoy (U.S. Figure Skating)….Boxer FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. was aboard the LaContessa yacht at Lake Las Vegas Monday with HBO Sports personnel (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/11).
