Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

People and Pop Culture

Super Bowl Names In The News

Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT after Super Bowl LIII "entered the locker room with a gift for his players: a large rectangular humidor filled with 50-year-old Padron Cigars." The cigars were a gift from Padron Cigar Founder JOSE ORLANDO PADRON's son a year ago, and "would have been distributed then, except for the fact the Eagles defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl LII." Last year's loss "put the cigar celebration on hold, with Kraft waiting until Sunday night to pass them out to his players." Kraft moved through the locker room "telling his players what he had for them" (THEATHLETIC.com, 2/4). Meanwhile, the St. Francis House in Boston "started hosting a Super Bowl party last year," and when Kraft heard about it, he "reached out to ask how the team could help." The Patriots "donated the hats, wristbands, beads and buttons that the shelter distributed, and Kraft even recorded a personal video greeting" for the guests (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 2/3).

VIP PARTY: Amazon CEO JEFF BEZOS was "spotted in Atlanta for the Super Bowl on Saturday night, at an exclusive dinner hosted" by Kraft. Bezos was notably "without new girlfriend LAUREN SANCHEZ." Sources said Kraft "hosted the pre-game meal for between 200 and 300 VIPs," and highlights of the dinner included a performance by JAMIE FOXX and an "impromptu speech by rapper MEEK MILL" (NYPOST.com, 2/3).

LEARNING FROM THE BEST: Falcons Owner and The Home Depot co-Founder ARTHUR BLANK, during his time running stores, in order to "get the bluntest feedback possible about his business," would "directly interact with his customers." Blank has "taken that same approach" to owning the Falcons. Two months before his purchase of the team was completed in '02, Blank "met Mr. Kraft for breakfast." Kraft told Blank to "ignore people trying to tell him that the NFL is different from other businesses and rely on the same guiding principles he had at Home Depot." Kraft then, "with a wink," told Blank "what is different: the public side of the business, the bright lights of the NFL" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/2).

NAMES: Prior to kickoff last night, Foxx took "several selfies with civil rights pioneers" U.S. Rep. JOHN LEWIS (D-Ga.) and former Atlanta Mayor ANDREW YOUNG on the sidelines. Comedian STEVE HARVEY and TNT's STEVE SMITH were also "among the celebs and athletes who mingled" during the game (AP, 2/4)....Augusta National Chair FRED RIDLEY was spotted in a suite last night alongside NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. Bezos was also spotted in Goodell's box (THE DAILY)....Kennebunk, Maine, resident DONALD CRISMAN, 82, made it to Atlanta for his 53rd consecutive Super Bowl (AP, 2/2).

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/2019/02/04/People-and-Pop-Culture/SB-Names.aspx

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

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2019/02/04/People-and-Pop-Culture/SB-Names.aspx

CLOSE