In N.Y., Linley Taber profiles NFL VP/Community Relations & Philanthropy ANNA ISAACSON, who this week ahead of Super Bowl XLVIII will "oversee more than 35 local events, ranging from a luncheon toasting Hall of Famers to an auction of couture helmets held in partnership with Bloomingdales." Isaacson said, "Sports is certainly a male-dominated field -- I haven't had a female direct boss yet -- (but) I haven’t felt gender discrimination. There aren't as many women in high places at the NFL, but it's something we’re working on and taking very seriously. ... The key is not to be intimidated, to know you belong at the table and to have a voice when you get there" (N.Y. POST, 1/27).
DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS: Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN on Friday was asked if an NBA owner could properly run a franchise if he or she lived thousands of miles away, as is the case with Nets Owner MIKHAIL PROKHOROV. Cuban responded, "Absolutely not. ... That’s like trying to run a company and not being able to go to the sales meetings, not being able to go to the customer-service meetings or the support meetings. There’s a reason why you’re starting to see more and more owners get closer and closer -- because culture is important, attitude’s important, communication’s important" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/25).
AWARDS & HONORS: Golf Digest and Golf World Senior Writer TIM ROSAFORTE, who also works as an analyst for Golf Channel, on Saturday was named winner of the '14 PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism (GOLFDIGEST.com, 1/25)....Longtime Dodgers Spanish-language broadcaster JAIME JARRIN on Friday was presented with the Art Gilmore Career Achievement Award from the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters (Dodgers)....Negro League Baseball Museum President BOB KENDRICK yesterday was part of a 15-member '14 class inducted into the Missouri Sports HOF (K.C. STAR, 1/27)....The Twins on Friday announced that former MLBer CHUCK KNOBLAUCH was elected as the 27th member of the team's HOF (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/26)....Bobcats Group Sales Consultant CARL SCHEER on Saturday was honored by the Nuggets for his work with the team during its time in the ABA (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/26)....San Jose State AD GENE BLEYMAIER on Friday was honored by Boise State during a naming ceremony for the school's $22M football facility. Bleymaier was the AD at Boise State from '82-'11 (IDAHOPRESS.com, 1/26).
NAMES: The Blackhawks yesterday hosted an event to debut the one-hour documentary "17 SECONDS," a film about the team's '13 Stanley Cup Championship. The event, hosted by veteran Chicago broadcaster CHET COPPOCK, included an appearance by team President & CEO JOHN MCDONOUGH (Illinois DAILY HERALD, 1/27)....Rapper and Roc Nation Sports Owner JAY Z on Saturday "met up with Patriots owner BOB KRAFT and Kraft's girlfriend, model-actress RICKI NOEL LANDER" at Jay Z's pre-Grammy Brunch in Beverly Hills (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/27)....Lifetime's "THE GABBY DOUGLAS STORY," featuring the Gold Medal-winning U.S. gymnast playing herself, will debut Feb. 1 (PEOPLE magazine, 2/3 issue)....Late Baseball HOFer BABE RUTH's '23 World Series Championship pocket watch is "expected to fetch at least $750,000" at a Heritage Auction sale on Feb. 22 (AP, 1/26)....White Sox DH ADAM DUNN made his "big-screen debut as a bartender” in the Oscar-nominated film “DALLAS BUYERS CLUB,” produced by Truth Entertainment, a company in which Dunn invests (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/26)....Saints coach SEAN PAYTON has listed his 7,800-square-foot Dallas-area home for $3.45M (THEADVOCATE.com, 1/26)....Tennis player VENUS WILLIAMS has listed a home in Hollywood Hills West for sale at $1.799M. She bought the property for $1.9M in ’05 (LATIMES.com, 1/26).
IN MEMORY: Former Univ. of Arizona AD DAVE STRACK died on Saturday at the age of 90. He served as the school's AD from '72-82, and "ushered Arizona into the Pac-10 conference and hired the first black basketball coach at a major university." UA acknowledged Strack on the video board during last night’s home game against Utah (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 1/27)....Former professional wrestler and promoter GEORGE SCOTT died of lung cancer last Monday at the age of 84. He "helped elevate dozens of careers" in the '70s and '80s (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/26).
