Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

People and Pop Culture

Names In The News

ESPN's ranking of the "25 most influential people in UFC history" is led by President DANA WHITE and former co-Owner LORENZO FERTITTA. White is to UFC "what VINCE MCMAHON is to the WWE." He is the "promoter and of the best to ever do it." At his "absolute best and when he's firing on all cylinders, White has the ability to get you emotionally invested in a fight and a card." Meanwhile, UFC "does not exist as it does today without Fertitta." From '01-16, Fertitta's "financial commitment and business influence transformed the UFC from a failing sideshow into a global brand" (ESPN.com, 11/8).

NEVER EASY: Phillies manager GABE KAPLER learned from a friend on Saturday that his property in Zuma Beach is "gone" due to the California wildfires. Kapler: "We're good. Our family is good. There are a lot of other families who are not" (THEATHLETIC.com, 11/12)....Brewers RF CHRISTIAN YELICH has survived "two scares with the deadly wildfires still ravaging much of California." Yelich said, "There's going to be a lot of people that are going to need a lot of help. A lot of homes have been destroyed" (JSONLINE.com, 11/12).

ON THE STAGE: Clippers Owner STEVE BALLMER, speaking at a Wall Street Journal tech conference yesterday, said, "You want accountability? Sports. I find the level of accountability frightfully more powerful than I did when I was (Microsoft) CEO." Ballmer said that there are "similarities between running a sports enterprise and other kinds of businesses." He added, "It's all about the product, stupid" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/13).

GQ normally names its "Men of the Year," but broke tradition and named Williams its "Woman of the Year"GQ

NAMES: MLB announced a $500,000 grant commitment, through '19, to several nonprofit organizations focused on transition services and systems navigation for military veterans and their families (MLB)....Pistons F BLAKE GRIFFIN is "one of the headliners" on the '19 Forbes "30 Under 30" list. Griffin will be "featured on one of the business magazine's covers presenting the list" (FREEP.com, 11/13)....GQ, which normally names its "Men of the Year," broke with tradition and named SERENA WILLIAMS its "Woman of the Year" alongside male honorees JONAH HILL, MICHAEL B. JORDAN and HENRY GOLDING (NYPOST.com, 11/12)….TIM TEBOW will host CBS’ new physical competition series “MILLION DOLLAR MILE.” NFL Network’s MATT SMITH and ESPN’s MARIA TAYLOR will “join Tebow and sports commentators” in the 10-episode series (DEADLINE.com, 11/12)….Patriots LB KYLE VAN NOY on Friday attended an advance screening of MARK WAHLBERG’s latest movie, “INSTANT FAMILY,” with a “group of 100 teenagers and chaperones from Massachusetts Wonderfund, a private nonprofit that supports kids” in the state’s Department of Children & Families system (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 11/13)….Rockies OFs DAVID DAHL and CHARLIE BLACKMON “both got married this past weekend.” Dahl and JACQUELYN DAVIS were married on Friday in La Jolla, Calif., while Blackmon and ASHLEY COOK were married on Saturday in Highlands, N.C. (DENVERPOST.com, 11/12).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/11/13/People-and-Pop-Culture/Names.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/11/13/People-and-Pop-Culture/Names.aspx

CLOSE