The annual Sports Business Awards are less than three weeks away, and we are ramping up the glitz and glamour for the '19 event. For the first time, SBJ will have a Red Carpet host at the Marriott Marquis, and we’re excited to announce that Eagles team reporter and SI Now host AMY CAMPBELL will be on hand to interview guests as they arrive for the evening.
TOURIST ATTRACTION: Rwandan President PAUL KAGAME was in attendance at Oracle Arena for Rockets-Warriors Game 1 on Sunday. An NBA official confirmed Kagame was "given tickets" by the league. He was "accompanied by about a dozen people, including his own personal security and Oracle Arena security." A restroom was also "cleared for Kagame to use during the game for safety reasons" (THEUNDEFEATED.com, 5/2).
HONORS & AWARDS: TAMMI LYNCH, whose son JACOB plays for the DC-area Metro Maple Leafs youth hockey team, was "named a finalist for the NHL's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award" for starting the "Players Against Hate" organization to combat racism in the sport. Public voting for the award is open through May 5 on NHL.com/OReeAward. The NHL said that the award is "meant to honor a person or organization that 'has worked to make a positive impact on his or her community, culture or society to make people better through hockey'" (WASHINGTONTIMES.com, 5/2)....Former Univ. of Georgia football coach VINCE DOOLEY "walked the sidelines for 25 seasons," and now Vince Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium "will become the official home of the Bulldogs, pending approval" by UGA and the University System BOR. A ceremony to "dedicate Dooley Field" is slated for prior to the team's home opener against Murray State on Sept. 7. Dooley coached at UGA from '64-'88, winning the '80 National Championship and six SEC titles (ONLINEATHENS.com, 5/2).
SEE YOU IN COURT: A San Diego Superior Court judge ruled this week that a lawsuit by Saints QB DREW BREES and his wife, BRITTANY, against a California jeweler they say "lied about the value of diamonds, defrauding them out of millions of dollars, is moving forward to trial.” The lawsuit accuses jeweler VAHID MORADI of “recommending and selling” the Breeses about $15M worth of investment-grade diamonds, which they then learned in '17 were actually worth about $8M (SANDIEGOUNIONTRIBUNE.com, 5/2).
NAMES: Rapper COUSIN STIZZ is "one of the hottest Hip Hop artists to come out of Boston in his lifetime" and "now he's a face" of the Celtics franchise. It "started with the voiceover for the Celtics' early season TV ad spots." After "generating buzz with that campaign," the "newfound partnership evolved into Stizz creating an original song and music video for the playoffs" (THEATHLETIC.com, 5/2)....Patriots RB REX BURKHEAD, LB KYLE VAN NOY, C DAVID ANDREWS, CB PATRICK CHUNG and former NFLer ROB NINKOVICH attended the '19 Team IMPACT Gala in Seaport, Mass. Wednesday night. The event was a fundraiser for the nonprofit founded by Patriots BOD member DAVID KRAFT, son of Owner ROBERT KRAFT (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 5/2)....Publicity stills from the upcoming “TOY STORY 4” were “released this week, revealing that a new character” is an A’s bobblehead of Baseball HOFer RICKEY HENDERSON (SFCHRONICLE.com, 5/2)....Panthers QB CAM NEWTON’s cigar lounge Fellaship will have a “grand opening” in Atlanta this weekend, including an “invitation-only ribbon cutting” Thursday night (AJC.com, 5/2).
