In San Jose, Matthias Gafni reported the death certificate for AL DAVIS “indicates the Raiders owner died from heart failure while staying in an Oakland hotel he often slept in to be closer to team headquarters.” Davis “suffered a ventricular fibrillation just 15 minutes before his death.” The death report said that his heart “began to fail 24 hours before his death, likely from five years of living with heart disease.” Another contributing factor “was dysphagia, or trouble swallowing” (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 10/29).
IF YOU BUILD IT... In Chicago, Ryan Haggerty reports MIKE and DENISE STILLMAN yesterday announced that their investment group has purchased the Iowa farm where the movie “Field of Dreams” was filmed. The Stillmans said that they “plan to preserve the iconic diamond while building about a dozen other fields and an indoor training dome on the 193-acre property.” They said that “about 65,000 people visit the site near Dyersville every year” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/31).
WINE & DINE: The WALL STREET JOURNAL profiled golf HOFer GREG NORMAN in its Cooking & Eating section and the paper’s Lettie Teague wrote Norman is the “rare athlete who managed to parlay his considerable fame into a vast corporate empire.” Norman “got into the wine business in 1999 by partnering with Beringer Blass.” The company owns the brand and pays Norman "a licensing fee." Norman is “involved in every aspect of the wines.” There are Greg Norman Estates wines “made in both Australia and California, though the former accounts for about 70% of the company’s 200,000-case production of popular varietals such as Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet and Shiraz.” A new Malbec is expected to be released in January (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/29).
CHARITY STRIPE: NASCAR driver DALE EARNHARDT JR.’s foundation hosted “Driven To Give,” with actor JEFF FOXWORTHY emceeing. The event “netted more than $140,000 in a single day of ride-alongs, dinner and entertainment.” The foundation has raised “more than $260,000 this year for resources for underprivileged youth” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/29)....Hockey HOFer MARK MESSIER will run in this Sunday’s ING N.Y. Marathon and "will represent the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund and Tomorrow’s Children’s Fund in the race." Messier said, “I have been working out. I turned 50. I thought it would be a great personal challenge as well as create more awareness for charities.” Meanwhile, he said he spends “most of my days with the Rangers as part of the management group.” Messier: “That’s exciting, learning the business on the other side of the ice” (N.Y. TIMES, 10/30).
PAYING HIS DUES: In Boston, John Powers noted new Red Sox GM BEN CHERINGTON has “worked in the Boston front office for 13 years under two ownerships and three general managers as coordinator of international scouting, director of player development, and senior vice president and assistant GM as well as acting co-GM with JED HOYER during [THEO] EPSTEIN’s 2005 sabbatical.” Mets Special Assistant J.P. RICCIARDI said, “Ben’s paid his dues. He learned the business from the group up” (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/30).
NAMES: Former NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE and his wife, CHANDLER, have “donated $5 million to Georgetown University, his alma mater.” More than half of the endowment "will go toward student scholarships" (AP, 10/28)….Converse’s Boston “flagship sneaker store on Newbury Street has been shuttered indefinitely by the state for failure to provide handicap accessibility to its entrance” (BOSTON HERALD, 10/30)….Esquire writer-at-large SCOTT RAAB’s book about Heat F LEBRON JAMES, titled “THE WHORE OF AKRON,” chronicles Raab’s “intense desire to see the former Chosen One felled by a career-ending injury.” The book, published by HarperCollins, is scheduled to come out Nov. 15 and is “excerpted in the November Esquire” (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/29)….Legends Premium Sales team member KATHLEEN WADDELL appeared on “WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE” Thursday and won $6,000, while also giving a shout-out to the 49ers (49ers)….Anheuser-Busch announced yesterday it has named one of its Budweiser Clydesdales after Cardinals manager TONY LA RUSSA. The eight-Clydesdale hitch led the Cardinals World Series victory parade yesterday. La Russa “rode atop the iconic red wagon pulled by the horses” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/31)….Red Sox P JOSH BECKETT has sold his Anaqua Springs Ranch home in San Antonio for $2.65M (MYSANANTONIO.com, 10/28).
IN MEMORY: College football broadcaster BOB BARRY SR. died from a heart attack at age 80. Barry was the “radio voice of the Sooners from 1961-72.” He switched to Oklahoma State Univ., “covering the Cowboys from 1973-90.” He returned to OU in '91. Barry also worked for KFOR-NBC from '66-'08. He was “inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1999” (THE OKLAHOMAN, 10/31).
LET US KNOW! Are you or someone you know in the sports business industry running in Sunday’s ING NYC Marathon? If so, please contact Theresa Manahan at tmanahan@sportsbusinessdaily.com and let her know. Then on Monday, send her your time, a photo and a quick note about the experience to share with our readers.
