Arizona State Univ. named Penn Wharton Sports Business Initiative Dir KENNETH SHROPSHIRE Adidas Distinguished Professor of Global Sport. Shropshire's role is a "newly endowed faculty position sponsored by the sports apparel conglomerate." Shropshire is "known internationally for his expertise in sports, business, law and society." He will join ASU on July 1 to "design and lead its new international sports facility." The institute is "expected to be launched" in the second half of '17, and Shropshire will "design, build and lead a new global sport institute as the center’s CEO." ASU VP/Athletics RAY ANDERSON "led the charge to bring Shropshire to the school" (THEUNDEFEATED.com, 4/26).
OWNERS IN THE NEWS: Seahawks Owner PAUL ALLEN will donate $30M "toward a permanent housing facility for as many as 100 low-income and homeless families in Seattle." The donation "will help cover design and construction" of the facility (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/27)....Rockets Owner LESLIE ALEXANDER yesterday "was fined $100,000 by the NBA" for confronting referee BILL KENNEDY in the first quarter of the team's Western Conference Quarterfinal Game 6 against the Thunder on Tuesday (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/27).
NAMES: Former Legendary Entertainment Chair & CEO, Steelers investor and Baseball HOF board member THOMAS TULL and his wife ALBA have agreed to donate a large trove of baseball artifacts from their personal collection to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The collection includes game-used items from Baseball HOFers BABE RUTH, LOU GEHRIG, TED WILLIAMS, WILLIE MAYS, HANK AARON, BROOKS ROBINSON, YOGI BERRA, STAN MUSIAL and OZZIE SMITH, among others. Tull also plans to make another memorabilia donation to the HOF itself later this year (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer)....The Bucks have "agreed to pay up to $250,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit filed against the team by a former dancer who claimed she and other dancers were underpaid in violation of federal and state labor and wage laws." LAUREN HERINGTON sued the Bucks in September '15. She danced for the team during the '13-14 season (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/27).
