Gronk has long had aspirations of becoming an actor after his NFL career endedGETTY IMAGES
Patriots TE ROB GRONKOWSKI announced he will retire from the NFL, and he could "easily transition to the world of professional wrestling" or acting, as he has "long dreamed of entering the entertainment world." Gronkowski has been a "popular off-field personality with several high-profile endorsements," including Dunkin' and Tide (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/25). Gronkowski reportedly "agreed to a deal with a film or television company before the Super Bowl" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/25).
NOT SET UP FOR SUCCESS: Former PepsiCo Chair INDRA NOOYI was included in the N.Y. TIMES' "Corner Office" feature and said there is a "leaky pipeline" interfering with getting more women to the C-suite level. Nooyi: "The pipeline is leaking at the early stages. Because we get enough women coming into the work force in various stages. But by the time they get to Level 2 and Level 3, they just drop out of the work force for several reasons. One that can be addressed quickly is this tremendous unconscious bias. On top of that, the time that they get to Level 2 in a company is when they will have families, and many companies are not mandated to give parental leave. People just drop out of the work force, and then we wonder why they don't go up to the top" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/24).
NAMES: Discovery President & CEO DAVID ZASLAV's pay package jumped 306%, from $42.2M in '17 to $129.4M, in '18 (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 3/23)....A new "Ohio -- Champion of Sports" exhibit at the Ohio History Center in Columbus has a "treasure trove of tales, on and off the field, organized by themes of adversity, tradition, innovation, character, identity and victory." Among those featured in the exhibit are Indians Chair & CEO PAUL DOLAN and Bengals Owner MIKE BROWN (CLEVELAND.com, 3/24)....Bass Pro Shops Founder JOHNNY MORRIS pledged $1M -- $100,000 per year for the next 10 years -- to the Dallas-based nonprofit Park Cities Quail Coalition (DALLASNEWS.com, 3/23)....The significant others of four Capitals players – KATRINA CONNOLLY, PAIGE DOWD, TASHA MALTMAN and TAYLOR PISCHKE -- donated $177,000 to Homeward Trails Animal Rescue (NBCSPORTS.com, 3/24)....There is interest in making a movie about the lives of Fox NFL analyst CHRIS SPIELMAN and his late wife STEFANIE, who died 10 years ago after a battle with breast cancer, based on the book “THAT’S WHY I'M HERE: THE CHRIS AND STEFANIE SPIELMAN STORY” (NBCSPORTS.com, 3/25)....Mets P NOAH SYNDERGAARD was profiled as part of the WALL STREET JOURNAL’s “What’s Your Workout” feature. At 240 pounds, one of Syndergaard’s “biggest challenges has been easing off in the weight room.” He has also started to “use meditation apps Headspace and Calm before bed” (WSJ.com, 3/23).
A SAD GOODBYE: Longtime Turner, CBS and NBC ad sales exec CHRIS FIX died Friday following a heart attack. Fix’ death was mentioned on CBS on Saturday by studio host ERNIE JOHNSON during coverage of the NCAA Tournament. Johnson said, “In the early days of March Madness On Demand and Masters Live, Fixer -- as he was known to his friends and colleagues -- played a key role in garnering national advertiser support of what became a huge part of CBS Sports’ online success." He is survived by his wife and three sons (John Ourand, THE DAILY). Twitter's Laura Froelich wrote, "When I joined CBS Sports, Chris Fix taught me everything I needed to know with patience, enthusiasm and humor."
IN MEMORY: Longtime sportswriter MARTY NOBLE died yesterday at age 70. Noble began his reporting career in New Jersey at the Herald News in ‘70 and moved to the Bergen Record in ‘72, joining the baseball beat there in ‘74. He arrived at Newsday in 1981 and “covered the Yankees and Mets for Newsday” until ‘04. Noble was a “mainstay on New York baseball coverage at Newsday for more than two decades and shaped the way the paper approached his favorite game” (NEWSDAY.com, 3/24). The Wall Street Journal's Jared Diamond wrote, "His stories about baseball and his career are unmatched in the industry." MLB.com's Anthony DiComo: "Marty was my mentor and one of the most significant influences on my career." ESPN's Keith Olbermann: "A living encyclopedia of NY baseball history whose hard-boiled persona hid someone who came through when it mattered for people."
