In Minneapolis, Jim Souhan profiled Vikings COO KEVIN WARREN, who is the "highest-ranking black executive working on the business side of an NFL team and the league's first black COO." Warren's contemporaries said that he is "qualified to run ... the NFL itself." But Warren's goal is it to "own his own team." Former SEC Commissioner MIKE SLIVE said of Warren, "He can go anywhere and do anything." Warren has become a member of the NFL committee on workplace diversity and was honored at last year's Super Bowl with the Texas Southern Univ. Pioneer Award for his "career achievements and 'commitment to championing diversity'" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 11/26).
DYNAMIC DUO: In Las Vegas, Alan Snel profiled Golden Knights Senior VP & Chief Sales Officer JIM FREVOLA and CMO BRIAN KILLINGSWORTH, who were "reunited in Las Vegas in July and now serve as the team's most pivotal business executives" under President KERRY BUBOLZ. Frevola and Killingsworth worked for the Buccaneers from '15-16, and that history as a "well-oiled business duo was crucial in Las Vegas." It is Killingsworth's job to "come up with and execute fun and creative marketing promotion ideas, while Frevola is charged with taking those concepts and selling them to companies and sponsors for six- and seven-figure deals" (LVSPORTSBIZ.com, 11/24).
YOU'RE HIRED: CAA Sports has signed 76ers G J.J. REDICK and Rockets F TREVOR ARIZA, both of whom will be unrestricted free agents next summer, for representation. Redick and Ariza will be represented by a team of agents at CAA Sports, with AARON MINTZ and STEVEN HEUMANN leading the team. Redick was formerly represented by Wasserman, while Ariza was formerly with Landmark Sports Group (Liz Mullen, Staff Writer).
NAMES: TIM SMITH, who serves as the NHL Kings team mascot, was sued last week by a dishwasher for "allegedly groping the defendant's buttocks in a Staples Center elevator" last year. MASO GRIFFIN's lawsuit names Smith and his employer, AEG, as well as Levy Restaurants and Compass Group USA, which both "provide food services to Staples Center." The suit "seeks unspecified damages" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 11/24)....COLIN KAEPERNICK on Thursday "received honorary eagle feathers as he attended the annual Indigenous People's Sunrise Gathering on Alcatraz Island" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 11/24)....Auburn on Saturday unveiled a statue of CHARLES BARKLEY’s likeness “outside Auburn Arena.” Barkley is the “fourth Auburn athlete to have a statue erected on campus, joining Heisman Trophy winners PAT SULLIVAN, BO JACKSON and CAM NEWTON” (OANOW.com, 11/25)....Former Federal Reserve Chair ALAN GREENSPAN and his wife -- NBC’s ANDREA MITCHELL -- watched Giants-Redskins on Thanksgiving from Redskins Owner DAN SNYDER’s box at FedExField (AXIOS.com, 11/24)....Stewart-Haas Racing co-Owner TONY STEWART got engaged to PENNELOPE JIMENEZ on Thanksgiving (INDYSTAR.com, 11/24)....ABC will air “what appears to be a shortened mini-season” of “DANCING WITH THE STARS," and the "all-live season will feature all athletes.” The list of the 10 participants will be announced at a later date (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 11/21)....The “fifth and final season” of HGTV’s “FIXER UPPER” will feature TIM TEBOW as a special guest (KWTX.com, 11/22).
