The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Daniel Barbarisi noted Yankees manager JOE GIRARDI is the "idea man behind a new mobile app scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2014, a game he designed in conjunction with app developer Appetizer Mobile." Girardi has "spent the past year making it happen, hoping to build a game that parents and children could play together." Appetizer Mobile CEO JORDAN EDELSON said that it would be "kid-friendly but targeted to baseball fans and adults as well." He added that the app "would be free to download but have in-app purchases; all of Girardi's takes will go directly to his charity, Catch 25" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/15).
DON'T BET ON IT: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Friday "denied a request for a hearing" from New Jersey Gov. CHRIS CHRISTIE in an appeal for the state's case that it should be able to legalize sports betting. None of the 10 judges "voted in favor" of hearing the appeal. The ruling leaves Christie with "just one option: Appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court." The state will "have 90 days to do so" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 11/18).
OWNERS IN THE NEWS: Nets Owner MIKHAIL PROKHOROV has "concluded a deal to gain control of the world's biggest potash miner." He is buying 21.75% of the firm Uralkali from SULEYMAN KERIMOV. Potash, a mineral which has "long been used as soil fertilizer, has suddenly become one of the world's most interesting commodities" (CNBC.com, 11/18)....Hurricanes Owner PETER KARMANOS is "suing Compuware Corp., the company he co-founded, to recoup stock options that allegedly were withheld when he was fired earlier this year." Karmanos is alleging that the company fired him from a $3.6M consulting job Oct. 1 "without cause and withheld valuable stock options" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/18).
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: In Boston, Stan Grossfeld wrote former NFLer WADE DAVIS is a "rising star in promoting diversity and inclusion." He is the Exec Dir of the "You Can Play" project and founder of "You Belong." Wade is "partnering with the NFL on three anti-bullying initiatives," including a "You Belong/You Can Play" NFL sports camp. The first event is tentatively scheduled for Newark in early March (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/17).
NAMES: The presence of PRESIDENT OBAMA and his family at the Oregon State-Maryland men's basketball game yesterday afternoon "brought out a larger than usual crowd for an early season non-conference game" (Baltimore SUN, 11/18)....Hawaii AD BEN JAY was "hurt in the scuffle" at the end of the West Virginia-Hawaii women's basketball game last night and "remained kneeling on the Stan Sheriff Center court for several minutes" (HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER, 11/18)....Former NBAer and current Grand Canyon Univ. men’s basketball coach DAN MAJERLE helped the team win its first D-I game on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd of 4,917. TNT’s CHARLES BARKLEY and USA Basketball Chair JERRY COLANGELO were in attendance (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 11/17)….Patriots TE ROB GRONKOWSKI held a “Football 101 Women’s Clinic” at Harvard Stadium on Nov. 11 during the team’s bye week. The event brought out more than 100 women (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/18)….The NBA fined Knicks G J.R. SMITH $25,000 on Friday for violating league rules “concerning social media -- this time for ‘directing hostile and inappropriate language’” at Pistons G BRANDON JENNINGS (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/16)….Rays employees, including Owner STUART STERNBERG “spent most of Saturday” building a playground at the Union Academy Family Center in Pinellas County (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 11/17).
IN MEMORY: U.S. motorcycle racer KURT CASELLI died on Saturday from injuries he suffered in the Baja 1000 event (REUTERS, 11/16).
