FORBES' Tom Van Riper profiles Aspire Group Chair & CEO Dr. BERNIE MULLIN, and writes Mullin has "found a handy niche helping 20 universities repopulate stadiums and arenas for baseball, football, basketball and softball, among others." Taking 10% of "ticket sales, plus costs (more for small-conference schools) or a management fee tied to increased box office, Aspire should gross $500,000 or so on more than $5 million in revenue this year." Mullin said, "Television doesn't work if there's no audience. Every empty seat is a cancer to your product." Aspire has "ballooned to 170, mostly young, wannabe sports executives willing to get on the phone and sell to kick-start their careers." Since launching the company, Mullin has "done work" for the Dodgers and the NHL. But it is mostly "the college game that needs outside help, especially in markets where schools compete with the pros" (FORBES, 8/6 issue).
REACHING A DECISION: An arbitrator has determined that San Diego radio station XEPRS-AM owes former sports talk show hosts SCOTT KAPLAN and BILLY RAY SMITH "more than $490,000 in damages for breach of contract." In San Diego, Dana Littlefield noted Kaplan "was fired after he made derogatory comments on air about a female broadcaster." A lawyer for the men said that later, Smith's contract "also was terminated." Kaplan and Smith currently work for U-T San Diego's KSWB-TV (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/24).
HITTING THE MARK: In Louisville, Alex Orlando notes bourbon distillery Maker's Mark is "donating $500,000 to help fund" a new $8M athletic center for Univ. of Louisville athletes. Part of the donation "will come from the release of 8,400 U of L-themed commemorative bottles that went on sale Friday" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 7/25).
NAMES: The NBA Coaches Foundation on Sept. 17 will give CBS Sports' JIM NANTZ the fourth annual Court of Honor Award, presented to an individual who has roots in college basketball and distinguishes himself in his profession by exhibiting the highest standards of leadership (CBS)....Redskins LB LORENZO ALEXANDER and several teammates yesterday gave $100 gift cards to 70 underprivileged students from northern Virginia's In Between the Lines Foundation. The event was held in conjunction with Alexander's ACES Foundation and a local Target's "Big Play Back-To-School Giveaway" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 7/24)....The 1912 sterling silver Red Sox World Series trophy will be auctioned off Aug. 2 at Camden Yards during a national sports collectors convention (AP, 7/24)....Patriots P ZOLTAN MESKO Monday night served as a bartender at Boston's Del Frisco's restaurant. The event raised money for former NFLer TEDY BRUSCHI's foundation Tedy's Team and the American Stroke Association (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 7/25).
