In Denver, Mark Kiszla profiles Nuggets and Avalanche President JOSH KROENKE and writes Kroenke is the "most influential sports figure in Denver." Kroenke is the "most unassuming mover-and-shaker you will ever meet," but yet he pulls the "most levers on the future of Denver sports." Kroenke said of his father, STAN, "We have a much different personality. But we're wired the same way." He added, "There are times when I have to prove and assert myself, and I very much understand that. I'm still young in this industry, and I'm well aware of that" (DENVER POST, 5/15).
PLUGGED IN: NASCAR driver NELSON PIQUET JR. was featured in USA TODAY's weekly "Talking Your Tech" column and it was noted Piquet "brings his iPad to the track whenever he practices, to monitor his performance." Piquet is a "gadget hound who owns several Sonos wireless audio components, subscribes to Sirius XM and listens to a lot of digital music." His favorite app currently is Keek, for "making short videos, which he posts on Keek and on Twitter to his 375,000 followers" (USA TODAY, 5/15).
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: In Boston, Donna Goodison reports GEORGE FOREMAN III, the son of the Boxing HOFer, plans to "open a boxing-themed fitness facility at Midway Studios in South Boston." The club will include "boxing rings, classes with working titles such as 'fighter's core' and 'boxing yoga,' a cafe and store." Foreman said that it will focus on "everything a boxer needs to train for a fight -- from fitness to nutrition to clothes" (BOSTON HERALD, 5/15).
CSI: MIAMI: In Ft. Lauderdale, Linda Trischitta reports law enforcement agencies investigating burglaries at the homes of Heat Fs CHRIS BOSH and UDONIS HASLEM are "looking into the possibility that the incidents may be connected." The players' homes are 32 miles apart, but both "were broken into the first two weeks in April." Officials said that Bosh and his wife had a "huge financial loss, while Haslem had property damage but no theft of his or his fiance's belongings" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 5/15).
NAMES: The ECHL announced that its member teams donated more than $3.3M to charitable and non-profit organizations during the '12-13 season (ECHL)....Auburn Univ. will spend $1M to "upgrade the clubhouse for the baseball program in the offseason," thanks to a donation from Braves P and Auburn alum TIM HUDSON and wife, KIM (AL.com, 5/14)....Blue Jays P R.A. DICKEY on Monday "received an honorary degree" from the Univ. of Toronto (TORONTO STAR, 5/14)....Trail Blazers & Seahawks Owner PAUL ALLEN yesterday "sold a royal-blue abstract by BARNETT NEWMAN for" $43.8M at Sotheby's. The painting is titled "Onement VI" (WSJ.com, 5/14).....Former NFLer JEFF SATURDAY’s “business success and penchant for giving back to the community” earned him the Carolina Alumni Review's Distinguished Young Alumni Award this year. The award recognizes Univ. of North Carolina alumni 40 or younger (CAROLINA ALUMNI REVIEW, 5/ '13 issue)….UFC fighter GEORGES ST-PIERRE has been “cast in the Quebec version of the upcoming Disney/Pixar flick Monsters University," where he will “provide the voice of Art” (MONTREALGAZETTE.com, 5/14)….PRINCE HARRY yesterday visited Harlem’s RBI youth baseball development program with Yankees 1B MARK TEIXEIRA (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 5/14)….Former MLBers DAVID CONE, RON GUIDRY and Baseball HOFer GOOSE GOSSAGE on Monday helped HOFer YOGI BERRA “celebrate his 88th birthday.” MLB Exec VP/Baseball Operations JOE TORRE also attended (N.Y. POST, 5/15).
