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Names In The News

Tennis player NICOLE GIBBS has "written more honestly and perceptively" in blog posts and social media about "what life is like for a pro tennis player than anyone" since ANDRE AGASSI's autobiography. Gibbs has "opened her laptop at tournaments around the world to express her views on gun control, the refugee crisis, climate change, Black Lives Matter, DONALD TRUMP, and, especially, all things that thwart or threaten equality of women." She is "outspoken in the way" that Tennis HOFers MARTINA NAVRATILOVA and BILLIE JEAN KING were. Gibbs seems to "wake up most everyday with the desire to say something about what's wrong with the world and how it might be made better" (NEWYORKER.com, 1/17).

HE SAID SHE SAID: Entertainment Tonight cited a source as saying that LADY GAGA "was told by the NFL that she cannot say anything or bring anything up about the election, or mention" Trump during her Super Bowl halftime performance. However, the NFL issued a statement calling that "outsourced nonsense from people trying to stir up controversy where there is none." The ET report also quoted a source as saying that Lady Gaga was "having trouble 'getting a guest to sign on' and perform with her during the halftime show" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 1/17).

WORKING HER WAY BACK: U.S. swimmer MISSY FRANKLIN is profiled in the WALL STREET JOURNAL's "House Call" feature, and she notes the Rio Games "didn't quite turn out as planned." Franklin: "I had to come to grips with failure, and it wasn't an easy time." She said she is using the setback to "make me a better person and a better athlete. I want the experience with me to use as motivation." Franklin said right now "my goal in the pool is to fall in love with the sport again" (WSJ.com, 1/17).

SCREEN TIME: CNBC yesterday announced an "order for a pilot for a reality series" with the working title "BACK IN THE GAME," to be hosted by former MLBer ALEX RODRIGUEZ. Pro Football HOFer MICHAEL STRAHAN is "listed as one of the three executive producers." The show would "focus on pairing 'ex-athletes in serious financial distress with money-savvy mentors who can help them get back on their feet'" (NEWSDAY, 1/18)....The '92 basketball comedy "WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP" is getting a remake from Clippers F BLAKE GRIFFIN and NFL Panthers C RYAN KALIL. Griffin and Kalil are "producing through their Mortal Media company" (VARIETY.com, 1/17).

WISH GRANTED
: The Celtics yesterday signed STEPHEN REGISTER to a one-day deal in “conjunction with Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island.” The 11-year-old “suffers from a condition called intractable epilepsy.” The Celtics introduced Register to the media at TD Garden, and then “gave Register his Celtics jersey.” On-hand for the ceremony were Cs AMIR JOHNSON and KELLY OLYNYK and Celtics President RICH GOTHAM (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/18).

NAMES: Baseball HOFer WILLIE MCCOVEY has been pardoned by PRESIDENT OBAMA on “tax evasion charges” from ’95. McCovey was one of Obama’s 64 pardons granted yesterday. McCovey was sentenced in June ’96 to “two years of probation for evading taxes on his baseball memorabilia” (AP, 1/17)....Lions RB ZACH ZENNER will “spend his second straight off-season taking part in a research project at a Detroit hospital.” He has “signed on to do another project through the Veteran Affairs Medical Center” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/18)....Raiders QB DEREK CARR on Friday “retweeted a post by Oakland Police Lt. CHRIS BOLTON sharing details about a missing 3-year-old.” The child was found the next day and Bolton tweeted that Carr was “the secret” to locating the missing child (EAST BAY TIMES, 1/18)....Spalding Univ. President TORI MURDEN MCCLURE yesterday “announced the creation of the Muhammad Ali Scholars program.” The program will “provide up to a $5,000 in scholarship aid per year for traditional, first-degree students,” and the scholarship is “renewable for a total of $20,000 over the course of a four-year degree effort” (COURIER-JOURNAL.com, 1/17)....Univ. of S.F. Dir of Special Initiatives and former NBAer BILL CARTWRIGHT was one of five people included on the Bay Area Sports HOF’s list of ’17 inductees (THE DAILY).

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.

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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.

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