The city of Boston has "seemingly gone overnight from pariah to favored child" for Verizon with plans unveiled last week to bring more than $300M "in fiber-optic investment to the city over six years." Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT "developed a friendship" with Boston Mayor MARTIN WALSH and the two "would regularly chat about ways to improve Boston, and the subject of bringing in Verizon to compete with Comcast came up." Kraft "happens to be friends" with Verizon CEO LOWELL MCADAM and "offered to bring Walsh and McAdam together to discuss the issue at Kraft's Chestnut Hill home" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 4/15).
SHOW ME THE WAY: The NBPA's MICHELE ROBERTS was profiled by CBS' Jericka Duncan, who notes players "flock" to the union's Exec Dir. They "recognize her power, and she knows their worth." Roberts when she took over the job in July '14, following the departure of BILLY HUNTER, "knew she had to make an impression." NBPA Secretary/Treasurer JAMES JONES said, "She was straight and she told us, ‘If you sleep on me, I will bury you.' That was refreshing for us.” Roberts has "galvanized star players like LEBRON JAMES and STEPHEN CURRY, which potentially adds more power to a union that she is definitely trying to turn around” (“CBS This Morning,” 4/18).
COLLECTORS' ITEMS: Laguna Beach-based Still Productions Partner & co-Dir TAMMY LECHNER "helped put together" a baseball collection at John Wayne Airport "highlighting the Angels in commemoration of their 56th season." The exhibit, "known as 'Calling All Angels,' runs through July." Among the items on display "include game-worn uniforms, balls, gloves, bats, old ticket stubs, media guides and photographs." Lechner and Still Productions worked with Angels VP/Communications TIM MEAD and other team officials to "gather old memorabilia dating to the club's inception" in '61 (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 4/17)....Sacramento-based artist BRYAN VALENZUELA was "awarded an art installation at Golden 1 Center, sharing a piece of the largest public investment in local art in the city's history." Valenzuela's work -- "Multitudes Converge" -- will "suspend over an escalator well inside the arena." He "hopes to start installing it in August and has to have it finished by October, before Golden 1 Center opens" (SACBEE.com, 4/17).
AWARD & HONORS: Heat Assistant GM and NBA D-League Sioux Falls Skyforce GM ADAM SIMON on Saturday was named the winner of the inaugural D-League Basketball Exec of the Year Award (NBA D-League)....Sports industry veteran ANDY DOLICH on Friday was recognized for his achievements at Ohio Univ.'s College of Business Awards Banquet (OU.).
NAMES: Rockies SS TREVOR STORY's game-worn jersey from the team's home opener on April 8 sold yesterday for $12,250 on MLB's auction site. The nine-day auction "had 117 bids" (ESPN.com, 4/17)....Bulls Manager of Entertainment BARRY ANDERSON wrote on Facebook that he is "stepping down as the popular mascot," Benny the Bull, on June 30. The Bulls said that the mascot will "return in some form" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/16)....ANDRE AGASSI's charter-school investment fund is poised to turn a $1M profit when it "sells a North Philadelphia classroom building this week to the charter operator that has leased it for five years" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/18)....Sporting KC D MATT BESLER, MF ROGER ESPINOZA and G JON KEMPIN on Thursday "surprised Overland Park Elementary School with two new soccer goals" (KANSASCITY.com, 4/15)....Patriots WR JULIAN EDELMAN on Saturday led a "private high-intensity workout" with a group of 50 fans at the Puma Store on Newbury Street in Boston (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/17)....ROBERT REDFORD on Saturday "enjoyed a glass of wine in the owners' suite" at Fenway Park during Blue Jays-Red Sox (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/18)....Former NFLer PEYTON MANNING yesterday at Bristol Motor Speedway "got big cheers when he was introduced at the prerace drivers meeting and was understandably in demand while making his way around" the track (AP, 4/17)....PRESIDENT OBAMA and Under Armour Founder, Chair & CEO KEVIN PLANK yesterday "played golf" at the Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. (Baltimore SUN, 4/18).
