An investment firm run by '12 GOP presidential nominee MITT ROMNEY and his son, TAGG, "made an attempt to purchase" the Marlins, though it "appears the deal fell through." Boston-based Solamere Capital over the past several weeks has "shown increasing interest in owning the team." Solamere Capital Senior Advisor/Business Development & External Affairs MATT WALDRIP said that Mitt Romney was "involved in the decision-making over the purchase, but he was not at the forefront of it." Talks about "bidding on the team were occurring before last week’s election" in which DONALD TRUMP won the presidency (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/18).
CASES FOR IMMORTALITY: Both former NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE and Cowboys Owner JERRY JONES are among the candidates for election to the Pro Football HOF, and ESPN's Jim Trotter, one of the HOF voters, outlined their cases. He said, "It is going to be a long day in that room, and there will be a lot of discussion about those two contributors." He noted the first time Tagliabue appeared on the ballot, the voters "debated him for over an hour." Trotter added of Jones, "Jerry will be judged more on what he's done for the league. The NFL would not be where it is today without Jerry Jones and his contributions to the NFL from a business standpoint. Remember, he is the one who sued the league, in terms of those sponsorship deals that brought the league to where they are today, in terms of opening up those revenue streams. ... From a business standpoint, you cannot argue or dispute Jerry's impact on this league” (“NFL Insiders,” ESPN, 11/17).
KING OF THE HILL: MiLB announced that Double-A Texas League San Antonio Missions Owner DAVID ELMORE has been named its '16 King of Baseball. The King of Baseball is a tradition in which MiLB recognizes a veteran of professional baseball for longtime dedication and service. Elmore will receive the award on Dec. 4, at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. (MiLB).
GOING INTO GOVERNMENT: Michigan Gov. RICK SNYDER has tapped former Michigan Int'l Speedway President ROGER CURTIS to "run the state Department of Talent and Economic Development." Curtis’ appointment is "effective Nov. 28 but is subject to the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate." He will earn $175,000 annually. Curtis "abruptly resigned" from his post with the track in August (DETROIT NEWS, 11/17).
NAMES: Thunder G RUSSELL WESTBROOK on Thursday was inducted into the Oklahoma HOF by Hornets Owner MICHAEL JORDAN (OKLAHOMAN, 11/18)....Ice Bucket Challenge Founder PETE FRATES, a former Boston College baseball player, will receive the NCAA's '17 Inspiration Award in January (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/18)....U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) on Wednesday "introduced a resolution" congratulating the Cubs and the city of Chicago on the team's World Series title (AP, 11/16)....Baseball HOFer JOHNNY BENCH has an “app to combat bullying.” Bench “owns a company, moblWorks, that specializes in custom apps for schools.” The app will be “in 5,000 schools across the country,” and is called The Smithfield School App, “named for the sponsor, Smithfield Foods” (NKY.com, 11/17)....AT&T recently committed $50,000 towards Iona College’s Sports, Entertainment & Media Program (THE DAILY)....Former NFLer WILL ALLEN “pleaded guilty this week to his role” in a $37M Ponzi scheme, “admitting he defrauded investors who thought they were financing high-interest loans to professional athletes” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 11/18)....WAYNE GRETZKY “will guest star” on the Dec. 4th episode of “The Simpsons” (SPORTSNET.ca, 11/17).
