In Ft. Lauderdale, Davis & Hemlock noted Pro Football HOFer DAN MARINO and MARC BUONICONTI, son of HOFer NICK BUONICONTI, have "developed two of the largest foundations by current or former athletes in South Florida, helping thousands of others and furthering medical advances." The Buoniconti Fund has raised more than $317M for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis; the Dan Marino Foundation has raised more than $45M since '92 to help the autistic. The money from Marino's foundation "has paid for research and outreach -- some at the Miami Children's Hospital Dan Marino Center, which sees more than 25,000 children yearly" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 12/26)....Meanwhile, groundbreaking for golfer ERNIE ELS' $35M Els Center of Excellence "is planned for April" and opening is scheduled for '15. Plans "call for a 100,000-square-foot school and resource center for 300 students with autism on 27 acres" in unincorporated Palm Beach County. The school and resource center, "each with about 150 students, would be the first in the county for children with autism from first grade through high school, followed by transition to adulthood" (PALM BEACH POST, 12/26).
OWNERS IN THE NEWS: Cavaliers Owner DAN GILBERT's Bedrock Real Estate Services "recently closed a purchase deal" for an eight-story red brick building in downtown Detroit. He has now purchased about 40 buildings in downtown Detroit "since relocating his loan business" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 12/27)....Rockets Owner LESLIE ALEXANDER had the second-highest-grossing sale in N.Y.'s real estate market in '13 after his penthouse at 18 Gramercy Park South went for $42M. Real estate sources said that '14 "will see a new number of record-breaking closings based on contracts already signed this year." Those deals include EPL club Chelsea Owner ROMAN ABRAMOVICH's signed deal to buy a $75M co-op (N.Y. POST, 12/26)....Singer BRIAN EVANS, who shot a music video at Fenway Park "with the explicit permission" of the Red Sox, is "accusing team ownership and other parties of working to undermine his success not long after the production's release." Evans' lawsuit is against Red Sox co-Owners LARRY LUCCHINO, TOM WERNER, JOHN HENRY and others. In the suit, he implies that the defendants "sullied the video's reputation with some members of the local media" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 12/26)....Dolphins Owner STEPHEN ROSS on Thursday "made a rare appearance" at practice, giving a pep talk to the players before they try to clinch the team's first playoff berth in five years (PALM BEACH POST, 12/27)....Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN on Thursday said that he "has two herniated discs in his lower back and likely will need surgery" (AP, 12/26).
AWARDS & HONORS: Heat F LEBRON JAMES on Thursday was named the AP's '13 Male Athlete of the Year, becoming the third basketball player to capture the award that has been annually awarded since '31. He received 31 of 96 votes cast in a poll of news organizations, beating Broncos QB PEYTON MANNING and NASCAR driver JIMMIE JOHNSON (AP, 12/26)....Dolphins WR MIKE WALLACE on Thursday accepted The Good Guy Award from the Miami chapter of the Professional Football Writers Association. The award "goes to the player who most consistently cooperated with that chapter's media members" (MIAMIHERALD.com, 12/26)....Golden Boy Promotions CEO RICHARD SCHAEFER was named SI's Promoter of the Year (Golden Boy).
NAMES: Disney Chair & CEO BOB IGER "saw his compensation package drop last year," as he received total compensation of $34.3M for FY '13, down about 15% from the previous year (LATIMES.com, 12/23)....In Houston, Brian Smith cited former Houston Oilers as saying that “at least two key members" of the '93 team team were gay. Not only did the team "know about the situation, but players accepted their gay teammates and did not outcast them” (CHRON.com, 12/26)....The ’14 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium will feature performances by musical acts ZAC BROWN BAND, MAYER HAWTHORNE and THE TENORS (NHL)….Nationals prospect ALEX MEYER, who signed a $2M contract in ’11 as a first-round pick, currently is substitute teaching at Greensburg, Ind., schools for $63 a day (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/25)….Cubs bench coach BRANDON HYDE has “paid $625,000 for a four-bedroom, 4,500-square-foot house” in Evanston, Ill. (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 12/26)….Dodgers LF CARL CRAWFORD “got engaged on Christmas Day” to EVELYN LOZADA, who was previously married to former NFLer CHAD JOHNSON, and before that engaged to former NBAer ANTOINE WALKER (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/27).
