Two former 49ers employees "filed an age discrimination lawsuit against the team, saying they were fired" because team CEO JED YORK was "trying to rebrand the franchise as a 'startup' prior to the team's move" to Levi's Stadium. The suit, filed Friday in federal court, "alleges York fired ANTHONY LOZANO and KEITH YANAGI, as well as 'a lot' of other older employees," in '11 to "replace them with younger workers, specifically from tech companies" located near the new stadium in Santa Clara. Lozano and Yanagi, 56 and 59 respectively, "were told that the team was 'going in a different direction,' but were given no further explanation" when let go (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/6).
JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME: In Boston, Steven Syre profiles Lightning Owner JEFF VINIK and writes under the header, "Post-Boston, Jeff Vinik The Toast Of Tampa." Vinik said of leaving the northeast and purchasing the team in '10, "It was a very hard decision, and I really do miss the markets. But I had the opportunity to reinvent myself and become a sports team owner. That has evolved into buying a lot of land and now becoming a real estate developer. I had no idea I was going to move in this direction, but the last five years has been the most fun in my life" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/6).
NAMES: Former USF AD DOUG WOOLARD received more than $1M from the school, “including $400,000 in deferred compensation, upon his early departure in July” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/6)....Wild D RYAN SUTER and his wife BECKY will serve as official ambassadors at the Ronald McDonald House Charities Upper Midwest (Ronald McDonald House Charities)....The Charlotte Regional Partnership yesterday named the Hornets one of the winners of its annual Jerry Awards “for their community service and work boosting the region’s image” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/6)....TD Garden Zamboni driver JOHN REBELO is profiled in the BOSTON GLOBE’s Workspace section under the header, “The Coolest Seat In The TD Garden” (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/6)....Former Bears coach MARC TRESTMAN “was spotted last week on a Clearwater, Fla., beach” with Buccaneers QB JOSH MCCOWN (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 1/5)....Former MLBer JEFF BAGWELL “has sold his mansion-estate at Memorial Village in Houston” for $11.98M after previously asking for as much as $15M for the 16,414-square-foot home (L.A. TIMES, 1/2)….MLB Giants RF HUNTER PENCE bought a three-story beachfront home in Newport Beach, Calif., for $3.8M with “2,500 square feet of living space” (L.A. TIMES, 1/1).
IN MEMORY: ALINA KUPCHAK, the daughter of Lakers GM MITCH KUPCHAK and his wife CLAIRE, passed away yesterday at the age of 15 after a lengthy illness (Lakers). Lakers coach BYRON SCOTT said that the news about Alina’s death “has been hard for everyone in the Lakers family.” Scott: “We sat down as coaches this morning and it wasn’t a whole lot of words that could be said.” Clippers coach and Senior VP/Basketball Operations DOC RIVERS “also offered his support” (L.A. TIMES, 1/6).
