In San Jose, Mark Purdy profiles 49ers Chief Strategy Officer & Exec VP/Football Operations PARAAG MARATHE, who, as CEO JED YORK's "right-hand man," has been "given credit for helping the Levi’s Stadium project come together and blamed for ... well, just about everything else." It was Marathe’s "obsession with front office NFL matters that fueled his rapid rise in the 49ers organization after he joined it 17 years ago as a jack-of-all-trades numbers guy who knew finances and statistics and how the NFL dealt with both." He said, "The lion’s share of my job is what it’s been for a long period of time -- chief negotiator, monitoring the salary cap and figuring out our Collective Bargaining Agreement compliance with the league. The other part of my job has evolved over time. ... I'd say 75[%] of my job is football related" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 8/8).
GIVING BACK: Warriors G STEPHEN CURRY is "more determined than ever to give back both his time and financial resources wherever he is needed in the Bay Area" after signing a five-year, $201M contract last month. He said, "Going forward and obviously keying in on the Bay Area specifically to hopefully leave a lasting impact for all the good that has happened in my life and my family here since I've been here the last eight years. Obviously over the next five to really impact the community for the better and use my platform, not only just dollars but my platform and connections and ideas to make that happen." This week, he is "hosting his fourth annual SC30 Select Camp with about two dozen high school players before a showcase event" tonight at Kezar Pavilion in S.F. (AP, 8/7).
PAPERBACK WRITERS: White Sox broadcaster HAWK HARRELSON is "working with sportswriter JEFF SNOOK on a book that is expected to go to print this fall." Snook has "traveled with Harrelson some this season and will accompany him to Texas this month to continue work on the book." Harrelson, who will retire after next year, said that he has "25 chapters completed" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/7)....The cover of Patriots QB TOM BRADY's book on reaching peak performance has been revealed. The book is set to hit shelves next month (TB12).
SCREEN TIME: Red Sox Chair TOM WERNER is "excited about his new 'ROSEANNE' TV series, which starts shooting in October." The ABC series, produced by Werner's Carsey-Werner Company, will have "mostly its original cast and is expected to be extremely political." ROSEANNE BARR is a "big supporter" of PRESIDENT TRUMP (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/6)....Pro Football HOFer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON "starred in the movie 'GOD BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD,' due out in December, and will soon start work on another film based on the life of one-legged NCAA wrestling champion ANTHONY ROBLES" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/6).
NAMES: Longtime UCF donor TONY NICHOLSON said that his latest $2M donation to the school's athletics department was a "no-brainer." Tony and his wife, SONYA, were the "original donors for the Nicholson Fieldhouse," and are now "donating again to upgrade the fieldhouse and the area surrounding it." Nicholson said that the fieldhouse will be "getting new lighting, a cooling system and new signs" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/8)....A judge ruled that Pro Football HOFer JASON TAYLOR and his Ninety-9 Group Inc. "owe a Coral Gables-based bank more than $84,000 for guaranteeing a loan" on Weston-based JuiceBlendz (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/7)....WAYNE GRETZKY and his wife, JANET JONES, and their daughter, EMMA, "ventured out to one of the back courts" at the Rogers Cup in Montreal to watch DENIS SHAPOVALOV practice. Emma is a "promising junior tennis player" (AP, 8/7)....Celtics G ISAIAH THOMAS yesterday met with a group of kids at a Boston Dick’s Sporting Goods and then “swung by Gillette Stadium” with his two sons to see the Patriots practice (BOSTON HERALD, 8/8)....Gold Medal-winning U.S. wrestler JORDAN BURROUGHS yesterday visited Bills’ training camp (BUFFALO NEWS, 8/8)....Red Sox DH HANLEY RAMIREZ visited a local McDonald’s over the weekend to “sign autographs and take photos with kids involved in the McDonald’s and Telemundo Boston Baseball clinics summer program” (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/8)....JENNIFER LOPEZ and ALEX RODRIGUEZ “spent a date night on Sunday celebrating the wedding” of SOPHIE LASRY, daughter of Bucks co-Owner MARC LASRY (NYPOST.com, 8/7).
