Jones (c) expects to make a final decision in November after state election seasonGETTY IMAGES
Kentucky-based sports media personality MATT JONES is "forming an exploratory committee for a potential U.S. Senate bid" against Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL (R-Ky.) in '20. Jones, a Democrat, "expects to come to a final decision on such a run after the election for statewide offices this November." Jones said that he "previously had a deadline imposed on him" by WLEX-NBC to "come to a final decision on a run by the end of August but that station's move to pull him off the 'Hey Kentucky' show he hosted and fire him freed him up to slow down and make a more informed choice." Jones "recently signed a deal with publisher Simon & Schuster to co-author a book that is critical of McConnell" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 8/29).
POWER FIVE: The N.Y. POST's Braziller & Kussoy listed the "20 most powerful people in college football," and SEC Commissioner GREG SANKEY is ranked No. 1. Sankey, who also serves as NCAA Infractions Committee Chair, has been "in charge of college football’s most powerful conference for the past five years." He "began building a massive network of relationships upon joining" the conference in '02, and is "one of the sport’s most well-liked and respected officials." The SEC is "still king in college football, and Sankey is its most important voice." Sankey is followed by ESPN President JIMMY PITARO (No. 2), Alabama football coach NICK SABAN (No. 3), NCAA President MARK EMMERT (No. 4) and CFP Exec Dir BILL HANCOCK (N.Y. POST, 8/28).
NAMES: Celtics F GORDON HAYWARD and his wife, ROBYN, “organized a clinic” at the Tobin Community Center in Boston for about 50 area girls as part of the NBA’s "Her Time To Play" initiative (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/29)....Former NFLer DOUG BALDWIN is hoping for a “groundbreaking at the site” of the planned Family First Community Center in Renton, Wash., next February, and for the “doors to open in the middle” of ’21. The public-private project has “already raised” $10.5M, and includes a $1M contribution from Baldwin and $70,000 from the Seahawks (SEATTLE TIMES, 8/29)....USWNT F MEGAN RAPINOE will be on Drake Univ.’s campus on Nov. 18 at 7:00pm ET to “take part in the Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture Series” (WHOTV.com, 8/28).
IN MEMORY: Former ESPN and Emmy Award-winning editor JAY LOVINGER died Sunday of “complications from kidney disease” at age 75. Lovinger “helped launch ESPN.com’s Page 2,” assuming the “role of ‘Jackpot Jay’ to chronicle his year as a pro poker player.” He “later edited national writers and dozens of longform feature stories during his 15-year career at ESPN.” He retired in December ’17. Lovinger’s “first national job” was as an editor for Inside Sports magazine before becoming a senior editor at People magazine when Inside Sports folded. Lovinger was later hired to “re-envision The Washington Post Magazine” and after worked for “many years as an assistant managing editor of Life magazine” (ESPN.com, 8/28).
