THE DAILY each Friday offers our take on the performances over the past week of some people and entities in sports business. Here are this week’s newsmakers:
WIN: MARK SHAPIRO –- ESPN programming guru continues to be on the hot list in the media and entertainment industry — all while he figures out whether the NHL fits in ESPN’s programming portfolio — as BOB WRIGHT is targeting him in NBC’s restructuring of its cable-news business and DAN SNYDER is courting him for a potential new production company at Six Flags. Shapiro’s stock continues to rise, and so does his leverage with his current employer.
LOSE: STEVE BELKIN –- A swift fall for Atlanta Spirit co-Owner, who once partnered with LARRY BIRD in a bid to land the Charlotte expansion franchise. DAVID STERN’s approval of his removal as Hawks Governor will end one of the most tumultuous partnerships one can remember in the industry, and signals the end of Belkin’s future in NBA ownership circles.
DRAW: The NFL –- League hopes season-long partnership with ROLLING STONES helps keep it relevant to baby boomers and youth alike (but do the Stones resonate with anyone under 20?). And we’re reasonably sure MICK and KEITH will not be responsible for another wardrobe malfunction. But headlines around the band’s new album have focused on “Sweet Neo Con,” where Jagger belts out the apparently anti-Bush lyrics: “You call yourself a Christian, I call you a hypocrite/You call yourself a patriot. Well, I think you’re full of sh—! ... How come you’re so wrong, my sweet neo con.”
