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Rory Babich Takes NHL Panthers' Reins Following Michael Yormark's Departure

NHL Panthers Exec VP & Senior Advisor to the Owner Rory Babich yesterday became CEO & President and will work with Exec VP & GM of Hockey Operations Dale Tallon "on both the hockey and business side of the organization," according to George Richards of the MIAMI HERALD. Both Babich and Tallon yesterday were "named alternate governors of the franchise" after Panthers President Michael Yormark "left the organization" for Roc Nation. Tallon and Babich have "been working together" since team Owner Vinnie Viola and Vice Chair & Partner Douglas Cifu "took over the organization." Since Yormark joined the franchise in '03, the Panthers "made the playoffs once," although the BB&T Center "became a top entertainment venue and helped keep the hockey team financially afloat." Yormark said of his departure, "I’ve been here 11 years. I’ve had a lot of opportunities come my way during that period of time. But I’ve done everything I can do here." Richards notes Yormark's departure "didn't come as a complete surprise as rumors had been circulating since last month following his appearance at a Broward County Board of Commissioners workshop in which the Panthers [requested] to restructure their contract and lessen (or completely erase) their financial obligation for use of the Sunrise arena." Yormark has "been at the forefront of the team’s dealings with the county over the past decade and secured funding" last summer for a $4.2M scoreboard and video command center. Babich will "join Cifu in working with the county as Yormark moves on" (MIAMI HERALD, 3/4).

NOT-SO-PERFECT TIMING: In Ft. Lauderdale, Wallman & Fialkov write it is "yet to be known" whether Yormark's departure will "set back the team's request for help" from Broward County. Yormark and county officials said that they "hoped it wouldn't." Yormark said, "Timing stinks. I had to make this decision in the best interest of my career and my family" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 3/4).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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