Ridley is one of a handful of former Alabama players who are represented by SetasGETTY IMAGES
SportsTrust Advisors' BEN SETAS left his job as Alabama Associate Dir of Football Operations in '15 to "pursue a career as an agent," and since that point he has "established himself as one of the top up-and-comers in that field." Setas is the "lead agent" for a number of former Alabama players, including Bears safeties EDDIE JACKSON and HA HA CLINTON-DIX, Falcons WR CALVIN RIDLEY and Giants DE DALVIN TOMLINSON. Setas works with another "well-known agent," SportsTrust's PAT DYE JR. (AL.com, 8/20).
SIGNING OFF: Longtime Ravens PA announcer BRUCE CUNNINGHAM, who has been with the team since "just after the inception of the franchise" in '96, is "stepping down." A new PA voice will "start on Sept. 15 for opening night" (NBCSPORTSWASHINGTON.com, 8/20). Cunningham's 20-year run ended yesterday morning when he "resigned from his post." Cunningham said, "I went out and did these last two preseason games, and I was really unsatisfied. I just knew the decision had to be made. (The Ravens) didn't say anything, but I knew. The man in the mirror started talking sense to me" (BALTIMORE SUN, 8/21).
THE GOOD STUFF: Rookie Grizzlies G JA MORANT partnered with Academy Sports + Outdoors to surprise 25 local children from the Ira Samuelson Boys & Girls Club in Memphis with a "shopping spree." Each child was given $100 to "spend in the store" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 8/20)....Celtics F GORDON HAYWARD has teamed up with the team's radio analyst CEDRIC MAXWELL and Arbella Insurance to “unveil the first of this year’s completed Home Court Makeover projects this week” (BOSTON HERALD, 8/20).
COURT REPORT: A new lawsuit against the Univ. of Houston claims that African-American candidates “were not afforded the opportunity to apply” for the team’s head football coaching position because it “was never posted, as required by state law.” KEVIN SIMMS is seeking damages totaling $20M and benefits, which is the amount of the five-year contract DANA HOLGORSEN signed in January (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/20).
NAMES: Steelers investor THOMAS TULL and his band THE GHOST HOUNDS "got to open for the ROLLING STONES at FedExField" on July 3. Tull said, "That was the fastest 45 minutes of my life. And it was one of those rare things in life that was even better than what I was hoping for" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 8/21)....Spurs physician DR. PAUL SAENZ is the ’19 recipient of the Univ. of North Texas Health Science Center’s Mary E. Luibel Distinguished Service Award for his “career in osteopathic medicine which spans the work he has done from the Spurs to the Olympics" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 8/20)....ROGER CLEMENS reportedly “shot down Republican attempts to recruit him to run in a Fort Bend, Texas, congressional race (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/21)....Former NFLer DAVID TYREE has signed a “franchise agreement” with Clean Juice to open a juice bar in Morristown, N.J., in December (Clean Juice)....The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profiled Bucks and Fiserv Forum Dir of Event Presentation JOHNNY WATSON, who will be one of eight managers "coordinating entertainment and fan experience" at the FIBA World Cup (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/21).
IN MEMORY: Former hockey journalist RUSS CONWAY died yesterday at 70 after a “lengthy battle with coronary disease.” Conway in ‘99 was “awarded the prestigious Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award.” He was “nominated as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in beat reporting for stories that exposed corruption at the highest levels of professional hockey.” Conway’s relationship with Hockey HOFer BOBBY ORR was “integral in Conway looking into stories of retired hockey players not receiving proper benefits.” Conway's “meticulous reporting uncovered illegal activity” in the NHLPA by its longtime former Exec Dir, ALAN EAGLESON. Eagleson was “brought down and charged by U.S. and Canadian authorities as a result of Conway’s work” (North Andover EAGLE TRIBUNE, 8/20).
