Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN has “taken a principal ownership stake in the Professional Futsal League.” Futsal is a “modified version of soccer, typically played indoors with five players on each team” (CNBC.com, 2/3). Cuban “did not divulge how much his investment is in the rising sport.” But he did say it is “enough to make it interesting” (DALLASNEWS.com, 2/3).
FISH TANK: Dolphins Owner STEPHEN ROSS has “made his first venture into affordable housing in the U.K. with the purchase” of a 50% stake in a London developer specializing in "micro-homes." Ross has "bought half of Pocket Living from its co-founders through his Related Companies group" in a deal that is understood to value Pocket at $36.5M (FINANCIAL TIMES, 2/3).
NAMES: D-backs President & CEO DERRICK HALL last night received the Alumni Achievement Award from his alma mater, Arizona State (D-backs)....North Carolina AD BUBBA CUNNINGHAM recently received a 10% raise, “bringing his annual pay to $642,268.” The $58,388 increase “was the largest among those approved for nine high-ranking university administrators, who got raises or bonuses” ranging from 1-10% (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/4)....Baltimore-based education technology firm CWIST said that it has raised $1.25M in venture capital financing, “including a $300,000 investment” from Under Armour Founder, Chair & CEO KEVIN PLANK (Baltimore SUN, 2/4)....Baseball HOFer PEDRO MARTINEZ, former MLBer JASON VARITEK, Red Sox President of Baseball Operations DAVE DOMBROWSKI, Senior VP & GM MIKE HAZEN and the rest of the team's baseball operations staff and more than 160 volunteers yesterday were "painting murals, sorting donated clothing and hosting baseball skills clinics during a day of community service at McKinley Preparatory High School in Boston" (BOSTON HERALD, 2/4)....PARIS BARCLAY has "come on board" to direct and exec produce "PITCH," DAN FOGELMAN and RICK SINGER's baseball drama pilot for Fox (DEADLINE.com, 2/3)....Patriots WR JULIAN EDELMAN has been "making rounds at the men's installment of New York Fashion Week" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/4).
IN MEMORY: Former West Point Assistant AD, Penguins GM and Int'l Hockey League President JACK RILEY yesterday died in Decatur House in Sandwich, Mass., at the age of 95 (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/4)....Former WMC-NBC Sports Dir and Univ. of Memphis play-by-play announcer JACK EATON died yesterday at the age of 86. He called UM basketball from '59-87 and added football from '64-86 (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 2/4).
