A "massive fire tore through a New Jersey apartment complex" last night, leaving "hundreds homeless," including Yankees radio play-by-play man JOHN STERLING. Sterling said, "I think my apartment is gone. I won’t have anything left ... I’ll have to start over" (N.Y. POST, 1/22). Sterling, who spent the night in a hotel, said that he "will attempt to return to the building today to see if anything is salvageable" (Bergen RECORD, 1/22). Sterling: "It's simply amazing how many people found out about this fire. How many people were worried, how many called to see if you are doing OK and tell you they love you" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/22).
BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? In California, Louis Brewster profiles Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President & CEO JIM MICHAELIAN, noting he is "preparing for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona that will start Saturday." He is "part of the Muehlner Motorsport team that will compete in a Porsche 911 GT American in the GT Daytona class," marking his 16th appearance. Michaelian "usually tries to schedule his racing during the summer months beginning in July, but this particular event is mixing pleasure with business" (INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN, 1/22).
GIRL POWER: Women in Sports & Events yesterday announced the recipients of its '15 WISE Women of the Year Awards, including TD Garden President AMY LATIMER, 76ers Exec VP/Business Operations LARA PRICE and United Entertainment Group President of Sports & Experiential MARY SCOTT. They will be feted at an awards luncheon June 16 at the Marriott Marquis in N.Y. (WISE).
GIVING BACK: Cardinals DE CALAIS CAMPBELL yesterday pledged a gift of $1.6M to the Univ. of Miami’s athletic department, the "largest donation a former UM student-athlete has ever given the school." The endowment will "fund a full scholarship annually, in perpetuity, to a defensive lineman on the Hurricanes football team." UM "renamed its defensive linemen meeting room in the Hecht Athletic Center in Campbell’s honor" (MIAMI HERALD, 1/22)....Political strategist JAMES CARVILLE, actress BO DEREK and ESPN NBA analyst AVERY JOHNSON will be among the participants in Saturday's $10,000 NTRA NHC Charity Challenge, a handicapping contest to benefit the Old Friends Thoroughbred retirement farm and a charitable cause of the winner's choosing (NTRA)....Former MLBer KERRY WOOD hosted the fourth annual Woody's Winter Warm-Up benefit last Friday. The $125-per-person benefit “raised over $100,000 this year” for the foundation’s Pitch In after-school mentoring program (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 1/18)....Bears WR BRANDON MARSHALL appears in a PSA sponsored by non-profit Bring Change 2 Mind “encouraging men to talk about mental health” (SUNTIMES.com, 1/21).
NAMES: Georgia football coach MARK RICHT yesterday "was given a two-year-contract extension and had his salary raised $800,000 a year by the UGA Athletic Association." Richt’s previous contract, which paid him $3.2M per year, was due to expire after the '17 season. The new deal will end after the '19 season (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 1/22)....Boston Olympic Committee Chair JOHN FISH "will step down" as Chair of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce to focus on the '24 bid (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/22)....Red Sox radio play-by-play man JOE CASTIGLIONE has been elected to the Western Mass Baseball HOF and will be inducted Jan. 28 (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/22)....Former Philadelphia TV sportscaster DON TOLLEFSON yesterday "was found guilty" of five charges against him, which claimed he "scammed people who trusted him and charities out of $340,000." Tollefson's sentencing "will come at a later date" (NJ.com, 1/21)....Landmark Sports Group announced the re-launch of its golf division. Landmark golfers include Canadians JIM RUTLEDGE, who plays on the Champions Tour, and Web.com Tour player RYAN WILLIAMS (Landmark)....Actors WILL FERRELL and MARK WAHLBERG shot a scene for their upcoming comedy, “DADDY’S HOME,” during halftime of last night’s Lakers-Pelicans game at Smoothie King Center (NOLA.com, 1/21)....The U.S. Green Building Council on Tuesday awarded AmericanAirlines Arena with LEED Gold honors (AP, 1/20)....The RICKETTS family, which owns the Cubs, paid $3M “for two apartment buildings overlooking Wrigley Field that have rooftop businesses.” The price “doesn’t include the rooftop businesses,” which previous Owner GEORGE LOUKAS “also sold” to the Ricketts family. A spokesperson for the Ricketts family “declined to comment on the price paid for the rooftop operations” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/22)....Angels P HUSTON STREET listed his 10,200-square-foot waterfront estate in Austin for $5.4M (LATIMES.com, 1/21)....Yankees P CC SABATHIA sold his 4,100-square-foot home near Fairfield, Calif., for $1.43M. He paid $1.065M for the property in ’04 (LATIMES.com, 1/20).
IN MEMORY: Chicago Daily Herald Blackhawks reporter MIKE SPELLMAN “died unexpectedly Tuesday.” The cause of death “is unconfirmed but he appeared to have suffered a heart attack.” Yesterday “would have been his 51st birthday.” Spellman last year “assumed the Blackhawks beat after the death of longtime hockey writer TIM SASSONE.” Spellman “began his career at the Daily Herald” in ’91 (DAILYHERALD.com, 1/21). Spellman's passing drew wide reaction on Twitter. ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg wrote, “Classy of Doc Emrick to mention Mike Spellman on @NBCSports’ Blackhawks-Pens broadcast.” The Chicago Tribune's Ed Sherman: “Devastating news about the death of Daily Herald's Mike Spellman. Great guy and solid on everything he covered.” MLB.com’s Scott Merkin wrote, “Mike Spellman was a versatile, talented writer, but an even better person. His good humor will be terribly missed.” SI’s Brian Hamilton: “Mike Spellman was a great guy. Absolutely hysterical. It is beyond ridiculous that he’s no longer with us.” Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Kaduk wrote, “They don’t make 'em much better than Mike Spellman, So shocked and sad to hear this news.”
