Leo Hindery, the former CEO of YES Network and now the boss at InterMedia Partners, gave $5 million to Columbia University’s Journalism School. What’s interesting is that Hindery is not an alum, although his daughter Robin, who now covers the U.N. for the AP, is. The gift creates a fellowship in Hindery’s name aimed at minorities because he says he appreciates the role of journalism in our society and feels “it’s not a career choice for those with an eye on earnings.” The last time Hindery was mentioned in IO, he had just return from Le Mans, where he won his class at the 24 Hours. He calls it “The ultimate midlife crisis.” Earlier this month, Simon Schuster published his second book, “It Takes a CEO.”
Ed Policy proved his prowess at skeeball and Joe Vrankin was the go-cart driving champion as AFL Commissioner David Baker hosted a dozen senior staffers at his Southern California home for a three-day retreat and strategy session. Team building included a corporate challenge at Dave and Busters. Incidentally, Bensen Cherenfant, the commish’s non-driving assistant, wasn’t hurt when he crashed his cart.
More fun: Westport FC, a soccer team with three players from the MLS front office — deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis, senior marketing director David Wright and senior broadcasting and team services director Brad Pursel — finished second in Connecticut’s SASL adult league. Former MLS exec Mark Noonan, who recently launched a marketing firm, Focal Sport, also plays on the team. … David Cooper, who is now working in internal communications at the NBA, played Father Matthew, a priest with a serious crisis of faith and a jones for dancing, in an off-Broadway play, “The Deluxe Illustrated Body,” which ran earlier this month at a Greenwich Village theater.
It was an NHL event, but pitcher Al Leiter and ESPN baseball analyst (and former player) Harold Reynolds showed up at a press conference in which Gary Bettman, Ted Saskin and Garth Brooks announced the commitment of the NHL and its players to the country singer’s charity, Teammates For Kids. Brooks said that with the addition of the at least 130 hockey players, there are more than 1,000 athletes involved. “Garth has phenomenal success with athletes,” said Reynolds. Leiter said, “Because we all want to get close to Garth.” And he wants to get close to them. Leiter remembers Brooks as a spring-training teammate.
David Carter becomes the first executive director of the Sports Business Institute at USC’s Marshall School of Business. The institute intends to provide executives with research, education and seminars. … “China is an economic and social frontier of excitement, momentum and focus,” said Jim Warsaw after a trip to visit his son in Beijing and to Shanghai to visit the Warsaw Center’s sister school, Fudan University.
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| Now serving (from left): Nets coach Frank, players Carter, Jefferson and Kidd, and owner Ratner. |
Nets owner Bruce Ratner, coach Lawrence Frank and players Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and Jason Kidd served early Thanksgiving meals to 200 needy people at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, the team launched water taxi service for Manhattan fans to its current home in Jersey. CEO Brett Yormark’s goal: “The most accessible franchise in sports.”
Tom Chiappetta left his position in media relations at FSN to work on projects nearer his heart, among them finishing a documentary 10 years in the making on Steve Dalkowski, the minor-league pitcher who threw 110 mph, wildly, and was the model for Nuke LaLoosh of “Bull Durham.” … Smart women looking to hook up with athletes don’t hang around hotel lobbies anymore. Instead, they read how-to manuals, scour Web sites and frequent chat rooms in hopes of “catching themselves a baller,” according to an Armen Keteyian report, “They’ve Got Game,” on HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” Tuesday night.
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| Global Crossing CEO John Legere finished the marathon. |
Around the horn: Sen. John Kerry hung out with Johnny Damon and Red Sox owner John Henry on pit road before the Ford 400 NASCAR finale at Homestead, then joined Brian France in a speedway skybox for the race. … East Islip High School renamed its football stadium for its most famous alum, Boomer Esiason. … A record 36,894 runners finished the New York marathon, including French cycling champion Laurent Jalabert; Global Crossing CEO John Legere; “The OC” actor Tate Donovan; cellist Carter Brey; former tennis player Yannick Noah; “Survivor” winner Thomas Westman; and Brasil Telecom CEO Carla Cico.
Sadly: Greg Harney, an Emmy-Award-winning producer, died in Lincoln, Mass. As head of sports at WGBH-TV, Boston’s PBS station, he launched the TV careers of Arthur Ashe, Frank Deford, Mary Carillo, Vic Braden, Donald Dell and Bud Collins. … Motorola’s Geoffrey Frost passed away. The chief marketing officer’s sports responsibilities included the NFL, motorsports and tennis. Before joining Motorola in 1999 he was global director of advertising for Nike. His highlight reel would include the Michael Jordan “Frozen Moment” campaign and Tiger Woods’ “Hello World” and “I am Tiger Woods.”
Contact John Genzale at jgenzale@nyc.rr.com.
