NFL Giants Treasurer JONATHAN TISCH and his wife, LIZZIE, made a cameo on last night’s episode of Showtime's “BILLIONS” at The Regency Bar & Grill at the Loews Regency New York Hotel. Both spoke briefly with the show’s Bobby Axelrod character, played by DAMIEN LEWIS. The Tisch family owns the Loews Hotel chain, and Jonathan serves as Chair & CEO (THE DAILY).
Karnisovas largely stays out of public view but is at the center of the Nuggets’ rebuilding effortNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN: The DENVER POST's Gina Mizell profiles Nuggets GM ARTURAS KARNISOVAS, the first player from the Soviet Union to play college hoops in the U.S., and the "stoic, soft-spoken Karnisovas still prefers to stay behind the scenes." He "thrives on scouting and building relationships with a vast array of contacts world-wide." As Karnisovas "nears his one-year anniversary" as Nuggets GM, he will "likely continue to stay largely hidden from public view." But he will "remain at the center of the Nuggets’ rebuilding effort" (DENVER POST, 6/4).
AWARDS & HONORS: N.Y. Post hockey columnist LARRY BROOKS will be inducted into the Hockey HOF in November and will receive the Pro Hockey Writer's Association's Elmer Ferguson Award (N.Y. POST, 6/2). Meanwhile, Maple Leafs announcer JOE BOWEN will receive the HOF's Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a broadcaster (CP, 6/2)....Former NBA coach DOUG MOE will receive the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award (NBCA).
NAMES: Former ISE baseball agent JOE SAMBITO is seeking $2M as part of a lawsuit filed against the agency on the "grounds of age discrimination and wrongful termination" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 6/3)....Chiefs coach ANDY REID today and Wednesday will "mingle at fundraisers" for Kansas Gov. JEFF COYLER's campaign. Reid said, "I've gotten to know him since I've been here, and I appreciate the man." Reid "deflected any insinuation about political implications, saying he's 'not the guy who's into politics' and 'that's not what this is about'" (K.C. STAR, 6/3)....Agent JR HENSLEY is being placed on probation for 28 months due to failure to fully cooperate in the NBPA's investigation into potential violations of the NBPA's Regulations Governing Players Agents. Hensley will continue to operate as a certified NBPA agent, without any restrictions (NBPA)....Gold Medal-winning U.S. swimmer CULLEN JONES hosted a “learn-to-swim class at Druid Hill Park” in Baltimore on Saturday. For a free two-hour session, Jones, Gold Medal-winning swimmer JOSH DAVIS and a “handful of Baltimore City Aquatics instructors ran through different basics in the pool” (BALTIMORESUN.com, 6/2)....TOM BRADY “sat down" for the podcast "OPRAH’S SUPERSOUL CONVERSATIONS." Brady will “debut on the Oprah Winfrey Network June 17 and on the podcast the next day” (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 6/1)....Wynn Resorts co-Founder & Chair STEVE WYNN and Paramount Network's “BAR RESCUE” host JON TAFFER were among those in attendance at T-Mobile Arena for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final last Thursday (REVIEWJOURNAL.com, 6/2).
IN MEMORY: Traffic Group Owner & Founder and prominent Brazilian sports marketing exec JOSÉ HAWILLA died May 25 in a hospital in São Paulo. Hawilla “became a significant figure” when he admitted to “bribing soccer officials to buy the media and marketing rights to major South American tournaments” (N.Y. TIMES, 6/1).
