Oregon QB and Heisman Trophy winner MARCUS MARIOTA has chosen Excel Sports Management partner ALAN ZUCKER to represent him for marketing work and all off-the-field endeavors. Zucker, who joined Excel as a partner in ’14, counts Broncos QB PEYTON MANNING and Giants QB ELI MANNING among his marketing clients. Zucker is not an NFLPA-certified agent and does not represent NFL players for playing contract work. Mariota is believed to be deciding between rival NFLPA-certified agents and could make a decision soon (Liz Mullen, Staff Writer)....F1 driver LEWIS HAMILTON has taken a "step further in preparing for a career in music" after racing by signing with London-based Purple PR. Purple reps artists including ADELE, BEYONCE, CALVIN HARRIS, DIZZEE RASCAL and ICE CUBE (London TELEGRAPH, 1/23).
ON SCREEN: "IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST," a movie made by a pair of Utahns and filmed entirely in the state, premiered over the weekend at the Sundance Film Festival. The film "tracks the lives of four Utah Polynesians for four years as they navigate life and football through high school and beyond" (DESERET NEWS, 1/25).
BRIDGING THE GAP: Pocono Raceway President & CEO BRANDON IGDALSKY "had the unusual opportunity to go to Cuba, joining the select few who were the first to visit the island after PRESIDENT OBAMA normalized relations." Igdalsky is a member of the Young Presidents' Organization and chairs its Pennsylvania chapter's Education Committee (SPEEDWAYMEDIA.com, 1/24).
AWARDS & HONORS: Univ. of Missouri AD MIKE ALDEN "was inducted into" the Missouri Sports HOF yesterday (K.C. STAR, 1/26)....Former Ferrari President LUCA DI MONTEZEMOLO "is gaining support to become the head of Rome's bid to host" the '24 Olympic Games (AP, 1/22)....Pelicans Graphic Designer LEO FREEMAN was presented with the annual NBA Values of the Game Award on Jan. 12 at the league's sales and marketing meetings in Miami. The award is given by the NBA to an individual from one team who exemplifies the values of the league. Freeman was honored by the Pelicans at last night's game against the Mavericks (Pelicans)....Country music group RASCAL FLATTS "will sing the national anthem" before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8 (REVIEWJOURNAL.com, 1/23).
NAMES: truTV has "ordered a pilot tentatively called SHAQ INC.," which focuses on TNT's SHAQUILLE O'NEAL. The show is a comedy "loosely based" on O'Neal's "wild and frenetic business empire" (NEWSDAY, 1/24)....ESPN personality Mike Greenberg's new novel, titled "MY FATHER'S WIVES," "chronicles two weeks in the life of the narrator, Wall Street banker Jonathan Sweetwater." It "clearly is the work of a talented novelist, not your run-of-the-mill sports-talk guy" (AP, 1/24)....Redskins WR DESEAN JACKSON, Marlins RF GIANCARLO STANTON, skateboarder ROB DYRDEK and boxer MANNY PACQUIAO were judges last night for the “Miss Universe Pageant” (NBC, 1/25)....Former MLBer TED LILLY “has been charged with three felonies related to insurance fraud” (SAN LUIS OBISPO TRIBUNE, 1/24)....NFL player agent DREW ROSENHAUS cited “irreconcilable differences” in filing for divorce this week in a Miami-Dade County court, “slightly more than a year after marrying” LISA THOMSON (MIAMI HERALD, 1/26)....Lakers G KOBE BRYANT “has adjusted the asking price on his home” in Newport Coast, Calif., from $7.599M to $6.995M (L.A. TIMES, 1/25)....Angels P JERED WEAVER has sold a four-bedroom home in Simi Valley, Calif., for $610,750 (L.A. TIMES, 1/24).
IN MEMORY: Former beat writer and NFL columnist PAUL NEEDELL “died Saturday after a long illness.” Needell “made his name at the New York Daily News” covering the Jets from ’83-96 before leaving to cover the NFL for the Newark Star-Ledger until ’10 (ESPN.com, 1/24). He was the “Curtis Martin of beat writers, bringing it day after day, week after week.” Needell “died peacefully at his home, gone too soon at the age of 57” (ESPN.com, 1/25)....Professional Bowlers Association HOFer CHUCK PEZZANO, widely recognized as the dean of bowling journalists, died Friday of cardiac arrest while undergoing a procedure at St. Mary’s Passaic, NJ. He turned 86 on Jan. 14 (PBA).
