New Alabama AD GREG BYRNE is "making $900,000 per year." The salary will "make him among the top dozen or so" highest-paid ADs in the country. Vanderbilt AD DAVID WILLIAMS is the "top-paid executive over a collegiate athletics department" at $3.24M per year (TUSCALOOSA NEWS, 3/8).
ANIMATION DOMINATION: The Cavaliers' front office has created a version of the '90s viode game "NBA Jam" that "includes themselves." Cavaliers GM DAVID GRIFFIN said that Dir of Analytics JON NICHOLS, Basketball Systems Developer BRAD HAVENS and Basketball Analytics Developer MICHAEL HARTMAN "gave the organization the game as a Christmas gift." Griffin said, "It looks just like us. It's amazing. The chops that these guys have. There was a hackathon here" (CRAINSCLEVELAND.com, 3/7).
SCREEN THE SHOOTER: KOBE BRYANT is "among the talent involved in the short films tapped" for the '17 Tribeca Film Festival. Among the contenders are "DEAR BASKETBALL," Disney animator GLEN KEANE's movie that features Bryant. The festival runs April 19-30 (VARIETY.com, 3/7)....The film "SOUL ON ICE: PAST PRESENT & FUTURE" was shown yesterday as part of the Gasparilla Int'l Film Festival in Tampa. Director DAMON KWAME MASON's 84-minute NHL-focused documentary focuses on "what it means to be a black hockey player" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 3/8)....NBA Kings courtside reporter KAYTE CHRISTENSEN is featured in "TOMBOY," a new hour-long documentary produced by CSN California. The doc "explores the obstacles young girls encounter in sports" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 3/8).
NAMES: Longtime Pitt basketball radio analyst DICK GROAT has been "named recipient of the Marvin 'Skeeter' Francis Award presented by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association" (TRIBLIVE.com, 3/7)....The Golden Knights yesterday “celebrated their multiyear partnership with Toyota with a youth hockey clinic" in Las Vegas. The 64 kids at the event were “chosen as the best behaved and most involved” in the After School All-Stars program from Dean Petersen Elementary (LAS VEGAS SUN, 3/8)....Pro Football HOF-elect JASON TAYLOR yesterday spoke to a “crowd of 500” at the YMCA’s 15th annual Inspiration Breakfast at Office Depot Global HQ in Boca Raton (PALM BEACH POST, 3/8)....Patriots OT NATE SOLDER and S JORDAN RICHARDS yesterday celebrated National Pancake Day by lifting “some flapjacks -- and some spirits -- with a visit to Boston Children’s Hospital” (BOSTON HERALD, 3/8).
