In Orlando, Matt Murschel noted Big 12 Conference members a few months ago reached out to interim Commissioner CHUCK NEINAS in a "last ditch effort to save" the league. Neinas said, "They said they needed somebody to come in and help them for a period of time, so I talked about it with my wife and so I gave it a shot." It "didn't take long for Neinas, who originally signed on for a six-month interim basis, to get everyone together and to start talking." Neinas said of his time in charge, "It's been fairly enjoyable." He "isn't certain about his future." He owns the consulting company Neinas Sports Services that works with schools, and "other than that he will 'see what happens.'" Neinas "does have some advice for the next Big 12 commissioner." Neinas: "You're working with good people, just make sure you maintain communications so it continues to progress" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 3/5).
OWN THE PODIUM: ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun reported Lightning VP & GM STEVE YZERMAN is "returning to run" reigning Olympic men's hockey champion Team Canada for the '14 Sochi Games. Oilers President of Hockey Operations KEVIN LOWE, Red Wings Senior VP & GM KEN HOLLAND, Blues Exec VP & GM DOUG ARMSTRONG, Hockey Canada President & CEO BOB NICHOLSON and Hockey Canada VP/Hockey Operations & National Teams BRAD PASCALL were "also announced as part of the Team Canada management staff." USA Hockey's announcement of an Olympic GM will "likely wait until the league and the union make it official that NHL players will be participating in Sochi" (ESPN.com, 3/5).
HOOKING 'EM: In Austin, Cristina Pena notes Longhorn Bars, a "new brand of energy and protein bars," are "hitting store shelves across Texas" with 12% of profits going to UT academics. The Longhorn Bar company, Lin-Mar, was started by former Univ. of Texas regent MARTHA SMILEY and UT School of Law alumna LINDA ADDISON. Longhorn Bars have been on the market "since November and are now sold in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth." The bars are in "every retail location on the UT campus and have recently been added to the flagship Whole Foods Market store and 24 H-E-B locations in the Central Texas area." UT retail store Sue Patrick and the University Co-op sell Longhorn Bars in their stores and online (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 3/6).
WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS ROSE? ABC's "THE BACHELOR" host CHRIS HARRISON said on "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD LIVE" that he approached Broncos QB TIM TEBOW to be the next contestant on the dating show. Harrison joked that Tebow has "agreed to do the show and that his people are still in talks" (HUFFINGTONPOST.com, 3/5). Harrison said Tebow "did say yes ... but he would never do it. He has a little job called quarterback at least for another year" (MYSANANTONIO.com, 3/5).
NAMES: Dearborn (Mich.) City Council member ROBERT ABRAHAM was attacked Sunday after the Blackhawks-Red Wings game "because the suspect took issue with friends of Abraham’s son wearing Blackhawks gear” (DETROIT NEWS, 3/6)....Packers LB A.J. HAWK "had his locks cut and donated them" to the Westlake, Ohio-based charity Wigs for Kids (USA TODAY, 3/4)….The Rays’ Charity Golf Classic at the Ritz Carlton Members Only Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., “raised close to $200,000 for the Rays Baseball Foundation” (TAMPABAY.com, 3/2)....Catalyst Public Relations won “Small Agency of the Year” at the annual PRWeek awards banquet (Catalyst).
