Menu
People and Pop Culture

Names In The News

Maryland-based Geier Financial Group, which manages about $180M, "grew in part by managing the finances of professional baseball players," including HOFer CAL RIPKEN JR. and Yankees 1B MARK TEIXEIRA. Now, the firm "has launched an affiliate called Winpoint Financial targeted solely at current and former professional athletes." Geier Financial President & Owner JOSEPH GEIER said that "about 40 former and current professional athletes have signed on to Winpoint Financial" since its establishment in September. In addition to "offering investment advice and financial planning, Winpoint Financial advisers help players buy houses and cars, and sometimes pay their bills" (Baltimore SUN, 12/20).

McCarthy participates in a fantasy league with
members of his office
DEAR MR. FANTASY: In N.Y., Alex Thompson wrote fantasy football "has long been played by congressional staff members, but now their bosses are jumping in with fervor, varying degrees of success and an openness to creating a bipartisan members-only league." House Majority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-Calif.) "is one of at least two members of the Republican leadership ... to join a fantasy league with members of his office." The other is Rep. TOM ROONEY (R-Fla.), whose family owns the Steelers. The addition of the bosses "has raised the stakes." McCarthy Dir of Communications MIKE LONG said, "Having the leader in the league definitely makes it more competitive." Meanwhile, White House Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor DAN PFEIFFER said that while many White House staff members play fantasy football, President BARACK OBAMA, "who 'knows a lot about sports and football,' did not." He added Obama "could do well" and saw fantasy football or fantasy basketball as a potential "post-presidential activity" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/21).

SPANISH CARAVAN: Bulls F PAU GASOL was the focus of a "nearly three-year project" that resulted in the book, "PAU GASOL: LIFE. VIDA." The book "is a stunningly intimate look at a culturally diverse major athlete." It is like "RARE AIR," the "long-ago look behind MICHAEL JORDAN's curtain, with more philosophical substance and personal openness." Gasol in the book's introduction "admits wrestling with the project idea," but "agreed because of his respect and trust" in author LORI SHEPLER, who spent 25 years as a staff photographer for the L.A. Times. All of Gasol's proceeds from the book "benefit the Gasol Foundation, a non-profit organization" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/21).

NAMES: Pistons Owner TOM GORES and his wife, HOLLY, donated 2,100 bicycles to children in Detroit through Toys For Tots. The approximately $250,000 donation "is the largest, single-family donation" to the organization in the country (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 12/21)....The Magic on Saturday hosted 21 homeless families, and Magic coach JACQUE VAUGHN "paid for the entire celebration" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 12/21)....Georgia Tech football coach PAUL JOHNSON’s four-year extension is worth a total of $18.1M, and an annual average of $3.02M. It makes him the “third-highest paid coach in the ACC” behind Florida State’s JIMBO FISHER and Clemson’s DABO SWINNEY (AJC.com, 12/19)....Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT sat with JON BON JOVI at yesterday's Patriots-Jets game at MetLife Stadium (NJ.com, 12/21)....New Jersey Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE sat near Pro Football HOFer EMMITT SMITH in Cowboys Owner JERRY JONES’ box yesterday at the Cowboys' home game against the Colts (DALLASNEWS.com, 12/21)....Portland-based TVA Architects has “applied to build a sports facility” in Hillsboro, Ore., but "only Nike employees will be able to use it" (OREGONLIVE.com, 12/20)....Musician KID ROCK “will perform a pre-race concert” for February’s Daytona 500 in conjunction with the launch of his album “FIRST KISS” (AP, 12/19)....Clippers G CHRIS PAUL recently bought a home in Woodland Hills, Calif., for $1.775M. Paul also owns a 12,184-square-foot home in Bel-Air (LATIMES.com, 12/19)....Golfer HUNTER MAHAN has listed his 4,800-square-foot home in Orange County, Calif., for $1.799M (LATIMES.com, 12/21).

IN MEMORY: Former Austin Peay AD GEORGE FISHER died Saturday night at the age of 90. Fisher “spent nearly 60 years” connected to Austin Peay (TENNESSEAN.com, 12/21).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2014/12/22/People-and-Pop-Culture/Names.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2014/12/22/People-and-Pop-Culture/Names.aspx

CLOSE