In Raleigh, Luke DeCock profiled former MLB Rangers CEO CHUCK GREENBERG, who is attempting to buy the Hurricanes. Sources said that Greenberg would be "deeply concerned with the fan experience and revitalizing Raleigh as a hockey market," but is "lacking the money to fund the purchase himself and reliant on a group of investors." If the deal goes through, Greenberg would "move to Raleigh." Former Hurricanes President JIM CAIN said Greenberg is "not the hockey purist" that current Hurricanes Owner PETER KARMANOS is (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 7/22).
CALLING SECURITY: The National Center for Spectator Sports Safety & Security (NCS4) last week presented Venue Solutions Group Chief Listening Officer & Managing Partner RUSS SIMONS with its Distinguished Leadership Award. Simons also has had stints with Populous and Bridgestone Arena. Additionally, USOC Chief Security Officer LARRY BUENDORF received NCS4's Lifetime Achievement Award. Prior to joining the USOC, Buendorf spent most of his 23 years with the U.S. Secret Service in the presidential protective division, and helped thwart the '75 assassination attempt on PRESIDENT FORD (David Broughton, Research Director).
MYTH BUSTER: Former NBAer CLIFF ROBINSON is "making a name for himself in the marijuana industry through a partnership" with Portland-based Pistil Point Cannabis. His arrival in the industry is "just an extension of Robinson's advocacy" and he is already having conversations with the NBPA about the "healing and medicinal properties of cannabis." Robinson: "(I want) to knock down the myth that athletes and cannabis don't mix. I played 18 years in the NBA and I used cannabis on and off along the way and I didn't have a problem" (Portland OREGONIAN, 7/22).
TRADING SPACES: It is "expected that the Dodgers will loan" Senior VP/Planning & Development JANET MARIE SMITH to the Triple-A Int'l League Pawtucket Red Sox for the "purpose of overseeing" the new PawSox ballpark project. The "current plans are for the inside of the new ballpark to replicate" Fenway Park (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/23). Smith was recently honored as part of SBJ's "Champions" of sports business (THE DAILY).
AWARDS & HONORS: ANDY RODDICK on Saturday was inducted into the Int'l Tennis HOF along with KIM CLIJSTERS, Paralympian MONIQUE KALKMAN-VAN DEN BOSCH, journalist STEVE FLINK and late tennis innovator VIC BRADEN. Roddick's wife, BROOKLYN DECKER, "sat in the stands near fellow model CHRISSY TEIGEN and her husband, singer JOHN LEGEND" (AP, 7/22). Roddick and Decker also have a “new baby girl on the way” (NYPOST.com, 7/23)....Bulls G DWYANE WADE has been named one of three '17 recipients of the Mannie Jackson Basketball's Human Spirit Award from the Basketball HOF. This year's other recipients are high school coaching legend BOB HURLEY and NBA Kings assistant coach NANCY LIEBERMAN (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 7/23).
NAMES: The Las Vegas Bowl "continued its investment in local youth football by announcing a partnership" with National Youth Sports Nevada. Las Vegas Bowl logos will "adorn the back of youth teams’ helmets this season, and the champions of all nine age brackets will be honored during this year's bowl game" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 7/23)....A's Chair Emeritus LEW WOLFF and his Southern California business partners won approval from the city of Oakland to "build an 18-story Marriott Hotel and Residence Inn downtown." The $90M-plus project would be "among the first major new hotels in Oakland in years" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/24)....WNBA Seattle Storm G SUE BIRD recently "opened up about her private life and sexuality," noting that she is gay. Bird began dating USWNT MF MEGAN RAPINOE last year and the couple had been "spotted at several events, but neither had publicly discussed their relationship" until now (SEATTLE TIMES, 7/23)....LEBRON JAMES this past weekend flew to Charlotte to watch his sons play in the U.S. Basketball Association National Tournament (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/23)....Penguins D KRIS LETANG yesterday visited children at a Montreal hospital with the Stanley Cup in tow (CP, 7/23)....Patriots coach BILL BELICHICK and his longtime girlfriend LINDA HOLLIDAY attended a party for Nantucket Magazine’s 15th anniversary on Friday at the city’s Whaling Museum (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/24).
IN MEMORY: Basketball HOFer JOHN KUNDLA passed away yesterday in Minneapolis at the age of 101. He was the “oldest surviving Hall of Fame member of the four major sports” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/24).
