The N.Y. TIMES' Style section named its Most Stylish People of 2023 and a number of sports figures were featured, including tennis players FRANCES TIAFOE and COCO GAUFF, Heat F JIMMY BUTLER, Chiefs TE TRAVIS KELCE and England G MARY EARPS. Tiafoe "scored big style points" for his "colorful lava-lamp-like" Australian Open kit. Gauff's "electric separates" at the U.S. Open were "almost as exhilarating as her performance on the court." Butler kicked off a new season with a "new (temporary) emo look." Kelce became a "household name" due to proximity to TAYLOR SWIFT, and "chances are she got someone you know to start wearing" Chiefs gear. Earps got Nike to "issue versions of her Women’s World Cup jersey after the company initially said it wouldn’t" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/6).
POWER CIRCLE: Raine Group Managing Dir CHRIS DONINI named Endeavor and TKO CEO ARI EMANUEL and former NFL Network and ESPN CEO STEVE BORNSTEIN as members of his “Personal Board of Directors” with the Wall Street Journal. Donini said he looks to Emanuel for “his unique perspective on the future of media and the critical importance of sports in media.” Donini added Bornstein “has operational know-how and knows what a company is actually able to accomplish” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/9).
REGAINED ACCESS: Hutcher & Citron Managing Partner LARRY HUTCHER “can watch games at Madison Square Garden again” after he dropped a lawsuit over MSG owner JAMES DOLAN’s “controversial policy to ban attorneys involved in claims against his venues.” Hutcher’s “yearlong court battle” with MSG came to an end after he “admitted MSG had a right to enforce its policy.” Hutcher filed an affirmation with a New York appellate court on Sept. 6 that “walked back his previous claims that the ban on lawyers violates a civil rights law” (N.Y. POST, 12/8).
NAMES: ESPN's CHRIS EVERT announced Friday that she will "miss the networks coverage of the Australian Open next month after being diagnosed with cancer for a second time." The announcement came 11 months after Evert declared she was free of ovarian cancer. She is undergoing chemotherapy and "plans to return for ESPN’s coverage of the remaining Grand Slam tournaments" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/8)....Former Houston Dash coach and GM JAMES CLARKSON reportedly filed a lawsuit against the NWSL and the NWSL Players’ Association “alleging that he was defamed last year when the league and players’ association released a joint investigation that said Clarkson engaged in ‘emotional misconduct’” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/9)….Former NFLer ROB GRONKOWSKI on Friday, in partnership with USAA, presented a 2022 Chevy Silverado to Army veteran ROBERT TREVINO as well as a 2019 Chevy Blazer to Navy Petty Officer Kyle Kohlgraf ahead of Saturday’s Army-Navy game at Gillette Stadium (BOSTON HERALD, 12/9)….Veteran sports writer WALLY MATTHEWS, late CNN anchor NICK CHARLES and Sternburg Communications President FRED STERNBURG are among the class of 2024 inductees to boxing’s Int'l HOF in the non-competitor category (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/9)….NASCAR driver KYLE BUSCH recently sold his Truck Series HQ in Mooresville, N.C., to Spire Motorsports for “double the property’s assessed value.” Spire paid $7M “more than what Iredell County tax assessors say” the building and land are worth. Records show that through its Spire Properties LLC, Spire “paid nearly” $14.5M for the property (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/9).
