A source said that Staggs is first on CBS' list by a reasonably wide marginGETTY IMAGES
Sources said that former Disney COO TOM STAGGS has "emerged as a top candidate" to become the new CEO of CBS, as the net looks to replace LES MOONVES following "allegations of sexual harassment." Sources said that Staggs left Disney in '15 when it "became clear he wouldn't succeed" BOB IGER as CEO. One source said that Staggs is "first on the list -- which includes about 10 people -- 'by a reasonably wide margin'" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/19).
SIMPLY AMAZIN': Mets VP/Alumni PR & Team Historian JAY HORWITZ said of his new position, "I really enjoy it. I think it will be a new chapter in my life. I'm 73 years old. I still have a job where I can contribute." Horwitz has launched the "'Amazin' Mets Alumni Podcast,' in which he interviews former Mets from across the decades." Episodes have so far included MOOKIE WILSON, ED KRANEPOOL and TURK WENDELL, with JOHN FRANCO, DWIGHT GOODEN and JAY HOOK coming soon. Horwitz' "larger, more fundamental project is reaching out to a broad array of Mets alumni and improving the database of their contract information, and personal stories" (NEWSDAY.com, 12/18).
FRESH DANCE: Actor ALFONSO RIBEIRO is "suing the makers of 'FORTNITE' over the use of a dance the actor made popular on the TV series 'THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR.'" Ribeiro also "filed a suit against Take-Two Interactive over use of the dance" in "NBA 2K16" (USA TODAY, 12/19)....Golden Knights G MALCOLM SUBBAN, C WILLIAM KARLSSON and RW ALAN TUCH yesterday "faced off" with fans in "Fortnite" at the HyperX Esports Arena (REVIEWJOURNAL.com, 12/18).
THE GOOD STUFF: Marlins SS MIGUEL ROJAS surprised Miami resident MARCIA CORNELIUS with a "brand new Honda CRV." Marcia's 18-year old daughter, MORNIN'STAR, was "diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer" at 2 years old and overcame it before being diagnosed in July with bone cancer (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 12/18)....The Rockets yesterday presented CHANCE “CJ” SMITH with a “one-game contract in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.” Smith, 10, was “diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma a year ago” (HOUSTONCHRONICLE.com, 12/18)....The Packers gave the city of Green Bay a $250,000 "matching grant for its Bay Beach restoration project." Bay Beach is the "ninth-oldest amusement park in the country" (GREENBAYPRESSGAZETTE.com, 12/18)....Esports organization Immortals and its OWL franchise L.A. Valiant have partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and have committed to raising a total of $500,000 over two years to support the St. Jude mission (St. Jude).
NAMES: London-based entertainment company Moonbug, which develops and distributes content for children, raised $145M in Series A funding. The Raine Group "led the round, and was joined by" Fertitta Capital (FORTUNE.com, 12/18)....The Univ. of Minnesota Press will publish “BRAVE ENOUGH,” the memoir of Gold Medal-winning U.S. cross-country skier JESSIE DIGGINS, in Spring ’20. The memoir was written with journalist TODD SMITH (Univ. of Minnesota Press)....The court case for BRIAN FRANCE, who is on leave as NASCAR Chair & CEO for a DWI arrest, was “continued Friday until Jan. 18” (NBCSPORTS.com, 12/17)....Magic C NIKOLA VUCEVIC and his wife, NIKOLTEA, on Monday “welcomed their first child, a boy named FILIP” (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 12/18).
IN MEMORY: TV sports show host LEE LEONARD, the first voice heard on ESPN, died Sunday at 89 at his home in South Orange, N.J. Leonard was a “well-regarded veteran of local and national sports studio shows” in N.Y. when execs at ESPN "asked him to be a co-anchor of ‘SPORTSCENTER.’” Leonard delivered the “first words” of the inaugural ESPN broadcast on Sept. 7, 1979. He “brought maturity to the fledgling network” and stayed with ESPN “for about six months” before moving on to CNN (N.Y. TIMES, 12/19).
