Papa John's Founder & CEO JOHN SCHNATTER has "resigned from the Athletic Association board" for the Univ. of Louisville. Schnatter is still a "member of the overall university board of trustees." At a recent BOT meeting, Schnatter called Louisville AD TOM JURICH "'invisible,' apparently referring to his lack of attendance at trustee meetings, and said the athletics department needed to be fixed" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 4/28).
MAKING THE LIST: CABLEFAX DAILY released its "The 100" issue ranking cable industry power players. Among those on the list were ESPN President JOHN SKIPPER, ESPN Exec VP/Affiliate Sales & Marketing JUSTIN CONNOLLY, Fox Sports President & COO ERIC SHANKS, Turner Sports President LENNY DANIELS, Univision Deportes President JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ, NBC Olympics President of Production & Programming JIM BELL and NBC Sports President of Olympics & Business GARY ZENKEL (CABLEFAX DAILY, 4/24).
STARTING ANEW: USA TODAY's Erik Brady profiled ARNE DUNCAN, who is preparing for his "first meeting as co-chair of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics" on May 1. Duncan, the former Secretary of Education under PRESIDENT OBAMA, used to "use the bully pulpit of his office to criticize big-time college athletics." Now, he offers "pointed critiques from his lead position on the reform-minded commission" (USATODAY.com, 4/27).
COURT REPORT: North Carolina businessman MICHAEL ROWAN was sentenced Wednesday to "65 months in prison" for embezzling $2.9M from pro athletes, including players in the NFL. Rowan "operated Capital Management Wealth Advisors" and APS Management. He had "contacted pre-NFL-Draft college players to offer financial and wealth management services," and changed an annual fee of $15,000-50,000 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/27).
NAMES: Nonprofit organization Team IMPACT, which pairs children with life-threatening and chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, "held its yearly Game Day Gala." In attendance was Team IMPACT co-Founder DAN KRAFT and his father, Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT. Also in attendance were ESPN's WENDI NIX and Patriots RB DION LEWIS (BOSTON HERALD, 4/28)....Vermont Gov. PHIL SCOTT said that he “hopes to practice at Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre on Saturday and may race" in Sunday's Merchants Bank 150 stock car race. Scott “placed fourth in the same race last year, when he was lieutenant governor” (BURLINGTON FREE PRESS, 4/28)....Golfers JORDAN SPIETH and RYAN PALMER were in the Saints’ War Room for the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Palmer is “friends with Saints coach SEAN PAYTON.” The golfers are partners in this week’s PGA Tour Zurich Classic of New Orleans (GOLFWEEK.com, 4/27)....The 21st annual Power of Love gala presented tennis HOFer ANDRE AGASSI with its Community Leadership Award on Thursday night. Agassi “responded to the award by pledging” a $1M donation to Las Vegas’ Ruvo Center (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/28)....Author JAMES PATTERSON is “planning to write a true crime book on AARON HERNANDEZ.” Little, Brown & Co. “plans to publish the as-yet-untitled book” in ’18 (N.Y. POST, 4/28).
